USNBEA Grand Reunion 2009

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USNBEA GRAND REUNION 2009
It’s a sunny and warm early Saturday morning, July 25, 2009. The HandyDart picked me up and delivered me at the Riverfront Park, 8:30 am. Nobody was there but they soon arrived, one by one, before I panicked.
Families, with specialty dishes/desserts, came one after another. Eunice started frying lots spring rolls! Lito Blancaflor was our roving photographer.
Elen Faytone & Merlina Fayusal group, with Frank Tomelden, were preparing the event program: registrations, door prizes and games.

Washington State group arrived led by Rod Pablico, Eva Abad, Cel Ebilane, Jasmin Evangelista, Frank Rendorio, Raul Evangelista, Elsa Mutuc, Dave David, Ed Tingco and their guests.

BC members came in droves; some not so old folks and new ones, too. Registrations were brisk because some were first timers. That’s good, I supposed.

Reyno Fernandez, from San Francisco, California, came just to see what’s it’s all about. I hope, by now, he knew. It’s a reunion of old friends and former co-workers.
Jun Salinas from Fort St. John, BC & Temie Tara from Squamish, BC. All went their way just to be at the reunion.

Mel Zabala came with two big box of fresh oysters (ang mga 'talaba' was donated by Tony Bernales). They were broiled it right away and the big feast was on!
Helen Montes brought fish; fresh fish and everyone was talking about what kind of fish was this?
Then, the arrival of ‘lechon,’ Every body’s diet was being discarded, for that day. O, ang Cholesterol mo!!! sabi ni Mario S.

Time for door prizes and games!!! Door prizes were donated by BC members.‘Talong at Saging’ game! Everybody was laughing so hard!! Humahagalpak sa tawa!
At ang sabi ng isa, “Mahaba naman ang talong mo!”
‘Pinata’ and ‘Pabitin’ for the grandkids.

May pabalot pa! There was so much food that everyone have a ‘balot nga!’ And,Frank’s ‘pan de sal’ was becoming ‘famous.’

Almost 3 pm. Formal change of command (wow! parang militar ang pasok!) USNBEA banner was given to the Washington State group for the next year reunion, to be held somewhere in Washington State. See you next year at the reunion!

—Joe Suganob
Vancouver, BC, Canada