Three Celebrations and A Wedding - Dec 2003

Marichu, a born-in-Cebu girl, and I met in Singapore in the June of 2001. We have been dating for 2 years and decided to get married in Cebu. We traveled to the second largest city in the Philippines on the 21st Dec 2003 and were married in the Hotel Bella Vista on the auspicious day of 28th Dec 2003 witnessed by many friends and families.



Our matrimonial home in Gabi Street, Mandaue City was a small and cozy house of 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a living hall. Chu was very proud to show it to me when we arrived. She has single handedly rebuilt it from an old house and lot which we purchased in September. Within a space of 4 months she has personally designed the plan, bought the materials and supervised 6 workers and rebuilt it from the old house to what it was today. Secretly I am very proud of her personal achievement and total determination in her work.
The Cebuanos as they were known in Cebu like celebrations, fiestas, parties as they are sociable people. Chu's birthday happened to fall 2 days after we arrived. The 'small' party we have had at the home was attended by close friends and relatives, some of whom have to travel a good three hours by bus to come.
Two days later we celebrated Christmas 2003. On Christmas Eve, the frenzy in the kitchen took on a mammoth scale. We had the traditional Christmas dinner. The traditional food for the day were the roasted pig (lechon baboy), roasted chicken(lechon manok), fried tuna fish (barilis), meat salad (menudo), and spaghetti for long life, so they say. Everybody ate, drank and karaoke till early morning. Fireworks were let off when the clock strikes twelve. All at once over the island, sound of fire crackers were heard, sparkling booms of fireworks were seen all over the skies. It was something I would not be able to see in Singapore since fire crackers were banned in the early seventies.
For the wedding dinner which was held on the 28th Dec 2003 we had a tent age built just outside the house. The tent age can sit about 100 people. Relatives and friends from the barangay were welcomed to partake in the dinner. There were some who came out of curiosity to see who the foreigner was. Beer was passed around as they enjoyed the feast of a lifetime. I was introduced to the extended family; the Malazarte and Yongco family. Chu was the bride and VIP of the occasion as they toasted her and congratulated us on our special day.
More celebration was to come on New Year's Day 2004.
When the family celebrated Sinulog 2004 on the first Sunday of the new year (4th Jan 2004), we have to miss it as we have to return to Singapore and for me back to work.
So after three celebrations and a big wedding, I found myself back in the fast paced life style of Singapore. The yearning to return to my second home in Cebu is longing and with each visit to the next, I look forward eagerly with fondness.

First Glimpse

The Philippines is a very beautiful country consisting of several thousands of islands. I've been there many times. The first time was way back in the 1990s when I joined a tour group to Manila to escape Chinese New Year in Singapore.
At that time Marcos was already deposed so we have the chance to see the Malacanang Palace. The palace was opened to the public and there we got to see the much publicized Lady Marcos' collection of shoes and also the private treasures of the family.
I remembered places like the Manila Hilton, Olangapo City, Pasajan Falls, and White Rock Beach where we saw fireworks been let off on Chinese New Year Eve.
The next time I get to visit the country was when the company sent me there to look at the Seagate Cebu project. This was followed by another one in 2003 to visit Lexmark factory.
I still remembered the Cebu International Airport was just newly opened and it was somehow experiencing frequent power trips until our flight was delayed several hours.
The passengers were left with nothing to do but wait out sitting on the floor and smelling sweaty as the air conditioning was also down.
The province of Cebu is even better than the capital city Manila as it is away from the hustle and bustle of the commercial capital city. For a holiday destination it is more relaxing, not so crowded, lots of free space as you moved inland away from the provincial capital of Cebu City. The city is more or less looking like Singapore in the 1970s; the sprinkle of townships along the coast of the main island is more livable and is ideally recommended for building a retirement retreat.
If you love the sea, the sand and the country side with lots of space to wander, this is the place for you.
Unaware to me Cebu would later become my second home; a place I would return more often than usual. This is the story of how it all started and the adventures of my home coming.