Over spanish bread and halo-halo I casually told my friends Rose and Cielito that I was going to Michigan to visit Lanie. Almost as an afterthought I asked them, “do you want come along?” Not really expecting them to say yes because it was such a short notice and both were busy with work. One of the many things any filipino living in america would soon learn is that there is no such thing as short notices here in the US. Especially in the summertime when people cram all their activities in the 5 short months we have outside the cold season.
Suffice it to say I was thrilled when they both seriously considered it, and ecstatic when both got go-signals from their husbands and work. Lanie felt the same way as she, like me, both knew these ladies from the net (forum) and was eager to meet them for the first time. As for the rest of this entry, photos speak louder than words…
Food, food, food. Filipino soul food. Our hostess is well known among peers to be a great cook. It’s amazing to watch what she can whip up for 20 minutes. Some of the delights she had in store for us: Breakfast of champorado (chocolate porridge), sikwate (philippine hot cocoa), dried squid. Buko Pandan juice to go with our lunch (young coconut with pandan extract gelatin). Midnight snack of mangoes and budbud (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves). My favorite meal was paksiw na isda (fish cooked in vinegar) and utan binisaya (visayan vegetable dish), the best I had in years!
Evan had as much fun as mommy. He had a blast. He was in toy heaven with other boys his age to play day and night with. He told me yesterday morning, “I want to live here forever!”
We spent 4 days doing practically nothing but just talk and eat (although I did go for a 10 mile run on Saturday, and Rose walked 4 miles with Cielito too). We joked to Lanie that she has the CHS – compulsive hostessing syndrome, she gets nervous when she’s not feeding us. We would have midnight snacks with our movies and animated conversations for 3 nights. Rose, Cielito and I would only sleep at 2:30 in the morning exchanging stories in the dark. While Evan beside me was just too exhausted to stir even with our loud voices.
I am also glad I was able to spend time trying my hand at anime with Lanie’s budding artist, sweet and a little shy Triz. I drew a manga version of her which she now hangs in her bedroom =) .
Photo above was taken at a rest stop on mile 200 (?) on our way back to Chicago. As I told a friend, you leave Lanie’s house already looking forward to your next visit because you just know you HAD to go back. Riding the car for 6 hours with the girls is certainly much more fun than taking the train with just me and Evan. It was an awesome 4 days.
that sure is a lovely time with galpals. and you were able to bring evan too – twice as sweet.
MC, I doubt it if I would enjoy it as much if I didn’t bring Evan along with me – parang extension na talaga cya sa body ko. It was great to be away from home, just be with friends and bond for 4 days. My husband asked me, what did you girls talk about for 4 days? I answered, 7 years of life stories hahaha. It’s really different when you’re with filipina friends.