It's the eve of the Memorial Day holidays and the weather was fine. Oni and Bili also happened to be visiting in NY and so 
At first the gang assembled for formalities at the covered public plaza of the spanking new BA Tower - reportedly the greenest building in NY today. From there the group secured their food from the carts around before proceeding to the park. Bryant park right beside the NYC library was convenient for the group's purposes. The park garden was filled with people meeting up, fiddling with their computers (yes, the garden had Wifi), having a meal or just lounging around enjoying the clear day. The CAFA friends went about their activity picnic-style in convenient open air sitting facilities in the park.
It was good to see
Tito again after a long time. We know that Tito just lost Girlie last year and it was a good opportunity to offer condolences to him personally. Tito’s remaining immediate family consists of Arel, an IT person and Pete, a film editor in Boston. Daughter Camille is a medical technologist who fortunately stays on with Tito still. Because of the renewed ties (and the flack he got from the gang for not attending the 2008 CAFA concert reunion), Tito expressed that he would consider visiting the Philippines next year.Rody no longer resides in Long Island and is now based in the exciting Chelsea district of the city. Early in the late afternoon, Rody came in his typical tees, cut-offs and sandals for the spot reunion. Towards the evening he was seen wearing a sweater though. He had to suddenly buy the garment as the unpredictable NY weather turned chilly in the darkening park. After his recent medical ordeal in Manila, Rody is fine today but needs to take it easy - like resting every so often as he navigates New York's endless sidewalks. Despite everything, Rody is not lacking in activities. Did you know that he has built himself a beach place in La Union? He has also finally sold his family's Pension building and is now contemplating reinvesting in a pad in Makati for when he comes over to the Philippines.
Retired Tong organized the CAFA rendezvous and had to travel himself from Rockland County to make the meeting. After decades of performing A&E work, Tong is enjoying his retirement (and granddaughter Simone) so much that he recently declined a comeback work offer from another firm. According to him, Rita concurs with this decision. Rita came direct from her TIAA office in Third Avenue. During the get together, the group got absorbed in chika business that they lost track of time. The last bus to Rockland was due any second when Tong remembered. Racing to the nearby bus stop with Rita in tow, Tong stood his ground in the middle of 42nd to flag down the bus (that was starting to leave). Oni and Bili are on the last week of their visit to America and are due back in the Philippines on Sunday. It was a fruitful annual vacation for the couple who spent quality time with daughters Carla and Lia now living in NY (and youngest daughter Apol who came over with them from the Philippines). It was a feat trying to get everyone’s vacation plans to synchronize. Within a week of their arrival back in Manila, Oni and Bili are scheduled to join Nore and Didi in Shanghai for a little CAFA reunion at the World Expo there. As we know, the Lims are temporarily based in the Expo site to look after their interest (Travel Cafe) that they had committed to the Expo event.
Despite his promise to come to the mini reunion at Bryant Park, unpredictable Sam Sta. Maria didn't make it to the get together. Rumors floated that Sandy grounded him for disobedience. The group was clearly observing the CAFA protocol of talking about absentees especially when they have lame excuses. As a matter of fact, they talked about everyone else with a juicy life story to tell including the hapless Dinky (who is busy minding his business in his office in Manila). As expected, intriguing new versions of old tales were concocted then. Knowing that most CAFAs are creative sneaky fellows, I leave the topic of conversation in this regard to their fertile imagination.So long and until the next time, this is the CAFA Whirl signing off.
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