Our Long Running 2013 Reunion Experience

By Cindy & Rudy Rivera 

We finally ended our 2013 re-union with the CAFA and friends! Coming back to Chicago land seemed colder in temperature, and in our hearts. Eastcoast is truly beautiful! That "I Love NY" button is ever so true! you have the extreme urban feel, delightful country, and universal people! 

Also fell in love with Connecticut's 'Americana look', the terrains, the cozy towns, the unpretentious white houses, ....and not to forget the GRINDERS!! Thank you Romy and Rory, and Romy's sis Rosy - for sharing your lovely home, and being soooo gracious in accommodating us.... also found out where Romy's sense of humor, quick thinking, and that peaceful calmness came from: "Mama Esther B., when I grow up, I want to be just like you". 

Thank you Tong and Rita, and little Arthur, for such FUN company and part of "welcoming committee" in NY area.....surely wouldn't be as strong-a-bond without you. Little Arthur's "artwork" is now with my 'bookmark collections'! And, Eileen! you're so sweet to come join us whenever possible-- thank you for your lovely self! And not to forget that warm and beautiful cottage in Milford, Penn!! Hey! CAFA was certainly there!! Acoustic worked so good in that little ol' house when ya'll sang.... as when that Egypt song separated all your voices into harmony, 

Howie's surprised look in his face (at hearing the Egypt song) is UNforgetable!! so, even tho the house was sold,- - -'been there, done that' for CAFA! A great memory was imprinted on those walls! Thanks Howie and Rody! such work and drama you guys put into your homes. 

Thank you Nore and Didi, for the excitements, for winter-book-of readings! You're inspiring and so full of ideas!! - -but just your loss that you missed watching Billie go wild @ the apple orchard! Nope, she just won't take any other apple from anyone, but ONLY the ones she picked herself, ok? 

And since we missed half of 'yous' in the Eastcoast, it's just not whole without that first half! A big fat hug of thanks to Gerry for his great leadership, and for offering the Milwaukee Philippine Center, and Jojo, for your loving works of art and hostessing, and for sharing your family and their participation! 

And by the way, thanks to everyone's sincere gesture to compensate for our catering, but as Rudy have mentioned several times, 'It just wouldn't be SPECIAL if we accept payment - - It would be JUST another catering for JUST another group.' so, that evening, Jojo, Gerry, Rudy, and I have decided to donate, under the CAFA group name, half of the money to the good works of the Milwaukee Philippine Center, half to help educate underprivileged and battered women and children in the Philippines through the Ballesteros, whom we've come to know the works of the Good Shepherd Sisters, (if considering more contributions, go to http://www.goodshepherd.org/), and, the little bit of it went to compensate for the 3 great Help that Jojo and Gerry provided for us to clean and tidy up. 

Thanks to very touching "moonlighting" works of Bess and Alice just to be with us here in the Midwest. Your strong part in every re-union is such a MUST. You're like the 'sinew' of the group! You ladies are amazing! Same with Dr. Elvis and your lovely wife, your 'last moments' decision to come is so appreciated for the whole package of memories! Loving my new gorgeous bright red hat- - nothing subtle from you Lina! 

And, YESSS! Another keeper souvenir T-shirt to re-live all the fun each time we ware it - - so, we'll wear it often! Thanks for the 'eternal' reminder Ely, Arianne, and Enrique! Thanks also to everyone that came from the Philippines: Onie, Billie, Dinky, Milou, and Teena..... probably was the very core of inspiration that made this idea of re-union to 'come true'. Margaret and other out of town guests were proof of re-union's success, wanting to come on the next one...."wherever it may be".... 

Well, everyone, thanks for the memories. Until the next memory making! ('driveable' please?). Keep us posted on that Philippine affair this Feb. 2014, YOU, re-union animals, YOU!! LIVE, LAUGH, and SING!

-XOXO from Rudy and Cindy.

Picking Connecticut

Last October 14, some East Coast-based CAFAs headed for Middletown, Connecticut. Tong and Rita with Baby Arthur (son of Ariel) drove from their home in Rockland. Oni and Bili took the Metro North train at Grand Central. Nore and Didi were suppose to join but didn’t make it due to an appointment with the contractor renovating their apartment. 

The reason for the excursion? It’s fall in October and Romy invited the group to experience some apple picking activity in scenic Connecticut. Romy and Rory are temporarily based in Middletown to tend to Romy’s mom (Romy’s sister who did that work is currently on vacation). As we know, Rudy and Cindy are currently with Romy and Rory having driven together to the East Coast right after the CAFA’s Milwaukee reunion. 

It was only a day trip for the visitors but with all the planned activities, it felt more than that. The group started with lunch (kaldereta, veggies and strawberry cake with coffee later) at the New England house of Romy’s sister. The professional fare was of course compliments of the house chefs Cindy and Rory. 

From lunch, it was apple picking time at Middlefield, a nearby place with orchards. The gang enthusiastically ‘attacked’ the low-lying fruits even while the taller guys shared what they got from the higher branches. In a while, the plastic bags were getting ‘hay-vier and hay-vier’, so they say. From the orchard, the group headed for the village store that sold all kinds of organic rural produce. Tong found the premium “Honeycrest” apple that was not available for picking in the orchard and whereby he planned to pass it on to Ariel as those that he picked. 

Spent from the afternoon activity, dinner was a welcome event. Romy and Rory knew the appetite of the CAFAs especially after the dinners at Milwaukee’s public market. And so what else could the main dinner fare be? Lobsters, no doubt! New England lobsters that’s larger and supposedly better than anywhere else in the US! After the filling dinner and more interesting conversation, the group broke up late in the evening. The fact that Bili and Oni arrived home (Manhattan) past 12 in the evening, tired but satisfied, says it all for the camaraderie that went on in Connecticut.

See slide show for more photos.

Milford, Pennsylvania

On a sunny Saturday in October, CAFAs in the East Coast proceeded to Pennsylvania upon the invitation of Rody and Howie. Rody and Howie own a vacation cottage in the Milford countryside which was interesting for the CAFAs to visit and experience. The two owners left earlier in the day to prepare for the arrival of the group. Didi, Nore, Bili and Oni traveled together from Manhattan. Tong and Rita came from Rockland. Romy, Rory, Rudy and Cindy drove from Connecticut. 

The day consisted of a tour of quaint Middletown (the nearby village); chit chat (finally more time now to talk about the reunion absentees); and great food (adobo; fried chicken; relyenong bangus; fresh bread; and lime, blueberry and apple pies). The excursion culminated in CAFA singing of CAFA standards (to the captured audience) this time including Rody (who missed the Milwaukee reunion). 

The 85 year old cottage is located in a rustic 1.5 acre rural setting. It is a refreshing hide away that displayed the deft interior touch of Rody. A large part of the backyard was fenced in (it specifically served as the weekend romping ground for a pet dog that recently died to the grief of Rody and Howie). Today, the cottage is on the verge of being sold. The CAFAs are lucky to visit it before that.

See slide show for more photos.

WACKY IN MILWAUKEE!

The CAFAs great reunion tradition continues. Starting from the get together at Hilton Head in 1995, the Milwaukee reunion is the fifth of a series for the CAFAs. At the week beginning of October - the start of scenic Fall - more than two dozen CAFA alumni and their relations congregated in the American Midwest city of Milwaukee.

The gallant host in Milwaukee was Gerry ‘Idol’ Ramos. (Many kilos ago, he may have been an idol). Gerry was not alone in the organizational effort.  He had help from CAFASingers in the area.  The guys without whose support the reunion would not be viable were Ely Tuason (from Plano) and Rudy Rivera (from Woodbridge). Gerry, Rudy and Ely certainly outdid themselves in making the affair worth it for the CAFAs. 

Starting out with an Architectural river cruise of Chicago, the first day culminated with a big party at Gerry’s house in Milwaukee. (Yes, it was Gerry’s birthday celebration that was held in his back yard garden). The rest of the week included seafood lunch at Milwaukee’s rustic Public Market place (it was so good, that the group did it twice in the week).  From the Public Market, the CAFAs viewed the city’s industrial design exhibit (partly organized by Ryan, Gerry’s talented son).

Then there were:  outlet shopping; tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Johnson building complex in Racine; tour of the Calatrava-designed city museum; an evening with Filipino food and band show (Pampanga Express Resto) in Waukegan; Golf for the Tiger Wood wannabe’s in Milwaukee; and finally the reunion’s grand event at the Philippine Community Center. 

Gerry is proud of the Philippine Community Center building. He was mainly responsible for finding the site and overseeing the building reconstruction some years back. The facilities of the Center suited the requirement of the CAFAs final evening affair event. Being professional caterers, Rudy and Cindy took over the kitchen for that night. I did not have the opportunity to visit their Sebu Restaurant in Chicago when it was still operating, but now I know why it was so successful for many years. Efficiently, by themselves, Rudy and Cindy arrayed their silver-and-crystal like dinner setting and tasty dishes for the group to sample.

Guests to the event included the large Ramos family. The new faces were Gerry and Agnes Salvo who came all the way from neighboring Madison. (The week before the reunion, Bili and Oni were in Madison enjoying the hospitality of Gerry and Agnes. Agnes is Bili’s school chum from STC in Quezon City). Another special guest is Margaret Denk, the friend of Eileen. (Margaret is a retired TV producer who lives in Chicago.)  Not really guests, but noteworthy to mention are the young generation who came with their CAFA parents (Tina Einsiedel and Enrique Tuason). 

The event had typical CAFA socializing. One joke from Dinky - Question: What do you call the female genitalia of a ghost? Answer: Spooky. As usual, they also talked about the 'dark' secrets of those who were unable to join the reunion.  For Cecile (recuperating in Iloilo), Alma (family obligations), Sarah (vacation schedule conflict), Ben (surprise na lang), Mina (jury duty), Sam (knee replacement), Emi (transferring houses), Hector (ill mother-in-law) and Tito (I'll see), we missed you guys. But in line with tradition, we talked about you. (Don't worry, your secrets are safe with us, but you realize that urban legend grows the more it is talked about.  Sam, your legend grows. heh heh)

The singing (Joey "Elvis", Rudy and Alice)and dancing (Didi and Lina) days before the grand event with the Pampango Resto band was a preview of things to come.  For the grand event, the group was really all primed up.  Providing the music were Gerry’s talented daughters (Camille and Carrissa), Alice and Bess, Gerry Salvo, Tong, Cindy and of course the CAFASingers. A surprise was the magic act of Gerry’s son-in-law, an aspiring magician. The night culminated with a raffle. The prizes were contributed by the CAFAs and included a Lenore Lim art work that Alice won. A raffle of sorts that everyone won was the Reunion Tee Shirt compliments of the generous Ely. 

Summarily, it was an enjoyable full week for the CAFAs. Lest we forget, other people to thank are the better halves of the organizers, Jojo, Cindy and Ariane.  These ladies were seen mightily balancing the requirements of their homes while assisting their husbands in the reunion affair.  (As Tong said, the men attend to the policies, while the women implement.)  Another group to thank are the “Hassan’s” (car pool drivers) without whom the group would not be mobile. These guys were: Ely; Ariane; Didi; Rudy; Joey Abalos; Romy; Bess and Margaret. 

Til the next CAFA reunion, hasta la vista, amigos y amigas. I understand that three places are in contention for the next reunion: the Philippines; Salt Lake City; and the East Coast. We should talk about that soon. This time please schedule your hip, knee and other replacements already so everyone can come to be counted! This call is especially directed to Fe, Alex, Pearl and Dero who have given no reasons not to attend.  Hala.

See slide show for more photos.