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One busy day in May, about last week, my parents and relatives paid me a visit. It was a pleasant mini reunion of sorts as I don't get to see the Espiritus that often, them being in Manila and myself being based in Cebu.
We spent lunch together at Abuhan where Pa wanted to treat us all to pochero. I was the only one in the group who wasn't actually watching my diet. Oops. Though the choice of food wasn't really on the healthy side, all of them were consciously picking very small portions for consumption.
Pa and Tito Roby were talking about their quadruple or triple bypasses like they would talk about car models. "Payabangan" sila. Hahaha! And Ma & Tita Celia would compare how many medicines or how often they took a certain prescription like they would talk about shoes, bags and shopping! I was amused listening to all of them.
Then when we were all done with the dessert, Pa called on the waiter to ask for the bill. When it came, everyone was fumbling for his/her wallet. I thought they were racing against each other as to who would be the fastest to whip out the credit card.
But no...
I was utterly amused when all of them handed their Senior Citizen's ID! Hihihi!
That same night, Aunt Didi joined the group and treated us all to dinner at Laguna Garden Cafe. And the whole experience would be repeated....
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I am grateful that I am still surrounded by loved ones who are in their prime years. I could only pray that they stay as lively and as healthy as they are for as long as possible. To achieve even half of what they have is already a great blessing.
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On another note, I hope nobody gets offended (about age), but when you get together what topics do you usually talk about with your peers?
in highschool it would be, WHEN ARE WE GETTING MARRIED? now that most of us are it's WHEN ARE WE HAVING BABIES! HAHAHA and sometimes finances or like troubles in the relationship...but ofcourse that normally is just shared to those really really close to us=)
ReplyDeletelol on the senior citizen ID. my dad didnt want to use it at first, not really appreciating to be branded as old.. but with the discounts coming with it, he just gave in.
ReplyDeleteIt was so funny reading about your 'senior' family get-together. Yup, I know exactly how that goes for I myself hang out with ladies 20-30 years older. A friend owns one of the funeral parlors in town, and the first question asked during a get-together is, "who you got?" Deaths and illnesses are general coversation topics. Isn't that distressing? But they crack me up esp. listening to them talk with their deep southern drawl. I'm sure I sound just as funny to them as they are to me.
ReplyDeletewe are just in the topics of family and kids, not yet on the ailments...and pulling out of senior citizen cards...
ReplyDeletepero malapit na rin hehehe. good thing there's a safety net in Canada, healthcare is free.
so sino ang nagbayad ? yung quadruple bypassee or triple? heheh
Senior citizens id, LOL!
ReplyDeleteWe usually talk about our patients/students and their cases (for those who are singles, most of my friends are as I have written in one of my posts). Or about our kids. Or just about anything. But there are lots of laughter in between. :)
Ang sarap naman! Ginuggutom tuloy ako. Ang sarap kumain.
ReplyDelete_____
Nakakatakot naman na payabangan sila ng quadruple or triple bypasses.
our topic usually revolves around family and kids and travelling... ",)
ReplyDeleteHI SHERY!
ReplyDeleteThen it would be: where to send the kids to school, what sport or activity they are taking up, etc...
Hehehe...
HI ANALYSE!
LOL, when everybody was handing in their senior citizen's ID, di ko malaman if maiinggit ako! (?). :D
HI BEBOT!
So its the same thing even with North Americans? It's not just a Pinoy thing pala to be talking about illnesses and such. :)
HI JUNNIE!
Good for you... I also talk about those among other topics with friends but I guess it's a cycle of life and we'll be doing the same after 20-25 years hehehe.
Pa paid for lunch so I should say, it was the quadruple bypasser. ;)
HI JULIE!
I guess LAUGHTER is the staple or the most important ingredient in all lively conversations, whatever topic is discussed. :)
HI KK!
Oo nga eh, cholesterol-laden food! Hahahah, now I'm beginning to talk like them. :P
HI JO!
Same here... It's fun to talk about the places we've been to and the places we want to visit soon.
yey i get to try out the keycode! :D
ReplyDeletedati my friends and i used to talk about snagging the hottest guys, tapos naging kids, tapos finances, tapos politics. sometimes it freaks me out to hear myself talking like my mom does *mental shake*.
hi Linnor. your post made me reminisce as it brings back memories of family and friend gatherings. like your family, we also love eating out together as if it were a reunion. and yes, nakakatawa when the oldies voluntarily gives the senior citizen ID to avail of the 20 percent discount. :) meron pa ngang makulit who would say: "dapat kung ilang ang senior citizen ID, ganon din ang bawas na discount". kulit no, meaning if there are 3 of them with the ID, eh di 60 percent discount yun. :)
ReplyDeleteHI MEEYAGIRL!
ReplyDeleteFinally! Talagang good riddance Akismet! Hehehehe...
Susunod na yung where to send Ninna to college, then mga apos... Hehehe...At your age, medyo malayo pa ang mga topics about cardiologists and internists... :) Stay healthy!
HI FENG!
LOL about the discount. Minsan tuloy parang ang sarap magkaroon ng ID just for the 20% discount. Hehehe. Pero it's actually computed by dividing the total bill by how many persons in the group tapos dun sa per person cost ibabawas ang 20%. :) Gulo ba?
When we were younger, we would all talk about the next much-awaited party/happening/gimmick/get-together we were going to, the latest in fashion, the latest in tsismis. These days, years (and years and years) older, we talk about....the past! Hahahaha! We talk about the good times we used to have when we were younger, then the topic shifts to our hypertension, our arthritis, our backaches. And then we compare medication. Hahahah!
ReplyDeleteNice blog. Saw you through mybloglog. God bless and happy posting!
HI DONDI!
ReplyDeleteLOL about the past as a favorite topic! I could relate to that. No matter how many times the stories have been told, we still find them as amusing as before... :D
I've been reading/enjoying your blog for some time now that's why you saw me on your mybloglog :D.
I like the Abuhan pochero so much that you noticed me eating it with obvious relish. I could have eaten more but Mamarazzi was there reminding me to eat anything with moderation.
ReplyDeleteI could not thank the Good Lord enough that despite stressful living, quadruple heart bypass and all, I am still enjoying life with loved ones to the brim!
To God be the glory! ;-)
u were featured in GH? what month? para mapabili ko! how cool naman!
ReplyDeletei just read it sa blog nang kapatid mo=)
HI PAPARAZZI!
ReplyDeleteYay you have finally gotten through my newly installed KeyCode! Hehehe... Thanks to my hos, Tin, for putting it up. Now I don't have spam comments anymore. Spam na palaman na lang (heheh corny). :)
Looking forward to our next get-together! If not this June, then in July when Junnie comes to the Phils.
HI SHERY!
Hehehe.... wala naman akong fee dito but I will mention it again... September ‘06 issue of Good Housekeeping (where Oprah is on the cover), pls check pages 12, 90 and 92.