Ang Lolo … Bow!

Writing as Gabi (gabimercado.multiply.com)

Si Lolo Pete ay tunay na napakabait

Kahit ako minsan ay super duper kulit.

Mahal na mahal ako ni Lolo, ito ay totoo

Kahit ako ay pilyo at laging paroko-roko.

Buntong hininga niya'y lagi kong ginagaya

Tuloy si Maman at Wowa, tawa na lang nang tawa.

Itong maginoong ‘to na mula pa sa Malolos

Tahimik, simple at tunay na nagmamahal sa Diyos.

Payo niya parati ay “huwag padalos dalos”

Lahat ng mga problema namin kanyang laging tinutubos.

Maraming salamat, Lolo Pete, sa tuloy na patnubay

Idolo kita sa tamang pamumuhay.

Malugod na pagbati sa inyong kaarawan

Nawa’y manahin ko sa ‘yo ang mga bukod tangi mong katangian.

Lolo Pete is Jose R. Tengco, Jr., Gabi's maternal great grandfather. He celebrated his 78th birthday last 29 December 2007.

Tengco ... Tengco ... Ang Babait Ninyo. Tengco!

Writing as Gabi (gabimercado.multiply.com)

We had Christmas day lunch in Lolo Pete and Maman Zeny's house in New Manila.

For the first time in two years, everyone was present!

Wowa Corina, Mommy Patty, Nanang Paola, Tito Anton and Tito Miguel and Papa were present.

Wowa is the Ate of the family and Lolo Pete's trusted lieutenant. She takes care of everything! From Max's to Legacy to Villa Desta and more. Even to maintaining the houses in New Manila, Tagaytay, Rada and Malolos.

Wowa and Papa have similar jobs. Both are COOs of their respective families. COOs? Not Chief Operating Officer … Child of Owner!

Both are prone to stress. Both worry themselves silly. Both pressure themselves needlessly.

And like I always tell my Papa when he comes home ranting to Mommy about work-related problems ... "Relax, Wowa. Relax!"

Wowa's siblings and their families were present too.

Tita Mia was present!

My Tita Mia is cool. My Mommy says that she is a celebrity, lead singer of hit band Wake Up Your Seatmate. And she's a friend of my Tito Baba Gabe. So I guess she's famous too.

But to me, she'll always be Cuddles' Mommy.

I never got to meet Tita Mia's dad, Lolo Monching, the Kuya of the family. But from all the stories I hear, surely he must have been just as smart and just as cool as Tita Mia.

Lolo Tony, Diko to his siblings, was present too!

Lolo Tony is a health buff. He is always on the thread mill. He is always on a diet and he always tries out the latest weight loss fad. He even convinced Wowa and Mommy to try Xenical! You should try Lolo Tony's regimen, Papa! Might do you good.

Tito Jay, Tita Joanne and Cousin Dani were present too!

Cousin Dani and I are the only two great grandchildren of Lolo and Maman. We are the favorites! That's why we get to sit in front and on their laps too for the traditional picture taking.

Beat that, sipsip Papa!

Lolo Al was present too!

Lolo Al has always been Santa Claus to me. All year round! And to the whole family as well. He is very generous not only with his gifts (which I always look forward to!) but more so with his time and advice, especially to the many who continue to seek his help.

Lola Carla, Tita Amanda, Tito Sandro and my favorite Tito Xabi were present too!

Tito Xabi is my favorite Tito. It certainly helps that he's only a few years older than me. No generation gap between uncle and nephew here. Just as there is no generation gap between Lolo Al and my Papa. My Papa already knew of Lolo Al’s reputation as a funny man in college, as one half of the “Al and Ernest” tandem.

Papa thinks he’s as funny as Lolo Al. Now that’s funny, Papa!

Lolo Louie was present too!

“Louie” and “Lolo” don’t seem to fit. That’s because Lolo Louie is fun! He is the biggest kid I know and I like playing with him. But not with toy guns please! Or at least not when Papa's around. He doesn't want me playing with guns. “Only water guns,” he says... Papa's weird!

Lola Maite, Tita Cara and Tita "Nees-Nees" were present too!

Tita “Nees-Nees” I like. She’s my favorite Tita. Both Papa and I like making her inis. Miss Photogenic, she surely is!

Lola Rosanna was present too!

Lola Rosanna I only get to see once every blue moon. That’s because she and her family live in London. I must admit I did not recognize her when she first arrived a few weeks ago. It was Roger’s and Hammerstein’s “getting to know you” all over again!

But it was certainly worth all the effort. Now I know both sides of Lola Rosanna’s coin: as the soft-spoken pastor's wife and as the Papa-nominated fiercest Tengco woman shopping warrior.

Lola Rene, Tita Hannah, Tita Sarah and Tito David were present too!

Tito David I do remember! He who played football with Papa in the beach. He can probably run rings around Papa now that he’s all grown up.

Just stick to Wii, Papa. Pick your battles. Discretion is the better part of valor. You stand a better chance of beating Tito David in a video tennis court than in a real soccer pitch.

Christmas day lunch was so much fun! Not only because everyone was present but more so because I got plenty, plenty presents!

Thank you, Lolo Pete! Thank you, Maman Zeny! Thank you for the everlasting present of such a wonderful family.

Papa, Mommy and I will always treasure your God-inspired presence.

Affairs as they should be

I claimed my third Starbucks planner two days before Christmas and I'm already half way through my fourth redemption card! By the time this promo's over, I'll probably get two more!

And to think this promo has not necessarily made me increase my Starbucks intake. I have very little practical use for the planner. Not that I am not enamored by the planner's sleek and simple design, mind you. I just prefer planners with no dates and no lines, blank white sheets really and nothing more.

So the planners end up with loved loves who love them but who are not exactly coffee lovers like me. A nice Christmas gift idea indeed.

Having these three planners just makes me realize how much of a Starbucks lover I've become and still am.

I had my first taste of Starbucks in 1995, a red pack of ground coffee sent to me by a North America-based friend. Not love at first sight. The coffee was good, granted. But it was no different I thought from the other imported ground coffee I could get from Rustan's back then.

I had my first Starbucks experience on Robson' in Vancouver in late 1996. I was puzzled at why there were two branches on the same street and almost directly facing each other, intimidated by the baristas shouting out names for unclaimed cups and hypnotized by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

That was it. I was smitten. The love affair began.

I was there when she first opened in6750 ten years ago. The encounter was just as good as the first time we met more than a year previous. No, it was better. Much better. Having to wait patiently in line behind other ardent suitors makes the pursuit of a love object all the more satisfying.

I followed Starbucks wherever she went. It was my obsession to be among the first to welcome her in her new homes. To Rockwell, to Tomas Morato, to Filinvest Alabang. I was a certified stalker.

And as she became an instant celebrity, her allure more universal, like a wise --- and tired! --- lover, I stepped aside to give way to other more fervent pursuers. The lines became longer. The crowd a lot younger and rowdier.

Now ours is a long distance affair. I still have at least two tall cafe mochas a day which the messenger buys for me from the Starbucks across my office, one in the morning and again when I get back from lunch. I still date her at least once a week, in the Shell station on SLEX, on my way to Forest Club.

And I get to take her home too: a pack of espresso ground House Blend weekly for my early breakfast and late night fix.

And remember that first Starbucks on Tomas Morato? The one that used to be across Alba's and Annabelle's and beside BPI? The one that closed after a few years to give way to the present one just across the street? I now hold office in that same old building. Nostalgic it is to now stay in the same place where we had our early dates.

The love affair continues, albeit at a slower but more satisfying way. It's a match made in caffeine heaven.

Another shot of espresso for me, my dear?