Posts Tagged ‘Pina Gempis’
“Happy Birthday, Marife !”
Happy Birthday, Marife !
May 29, 2012
by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
The Birthday Girl – Marife Saldana Roa, the birthday girl, opens her birthday cards. The kids and Tito Sam used their best creative efforts to make some birthday cards for the special day. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Marife Saldana was about 14 when she came to Angeles City and her sister, Christy, enrolled her in Dau Academy.
The Sisters — Christy Warren and Marife Saldana Roa, the sisters, talk and joke for a fe moments, before the birthday party gets underay. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
I met Marife, when she was the teenager.
Like her friends in the school’s white uniform blouses and required green skirts they talked about the things teenage girls talk about like: boys.
It was the late 1980s, so cell phones had yet to be invented, thus, classmates talked about things on the way to and from school
“Girl Talk” — Pina Gempis and Marife Roa talk in the kitchen. Pina spent the morning, cooking spaghetti and pancit canton for the birthday party. In the Filipino culture, pancit canton is the Filipino dish you expect to find at a birthday party because tradition states that pancit canton is a symbol of a long life. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
and on weekends because “texting” had yet to be invented.
May 29 is Marife’s birthday.
Even as a teenager, Marife had a smile and a quiet personality. In 2012, Marife is married to Ninoy Roa and the mother of four boys: Gilbert, Glen, Chrismar and Mac Mac.
“Happy Birthday to you.” — Christy Warren lights the candles on the birthday cake.
Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Today was a milestone, other than age. The last time Christy bought a birthday cake and had a birthday party for her sister, Marife, she was 16. Christy returned to the Republic of the Philippines in December 2011, and this was the first opportunity, she had to have a birthday party for her sister Marife.
Although Marife Saldana Roa is my sister-in-law, I have always believed, “She is the daughter I should of had.” As a teenager, Marife was always respectful to her elders, did well in school, and never hesitated to use her English skills to tell me what was going on in school. As a teenager, she always treated me like a father and since our return to the Philippines, Marife continues to be the daughter I should of had.
The Good Morning Bakery Birthday Cake. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
May 28, Christy went to the “Good Morning Bakery” in Palo and ordered the birthday cake. Christy looked through the pictures of the birthday cakes and picked out the design. The selection of the birthday cake became a Major Military Operation because I went along to order the birthday cake. I’m one of those people, who as a child was always “picky” about the kind of food I ate and “where I ate.” As a senior citizen, I remain “picky” about my food from birthday cakes to anything I eat.
While the bakers were discussing the cake with Christy, I had questions about the size and flavor. Christy remembered that Marife like vanilla. One of the baker’s assistants brought out a cake pan to show up the size. I took one look and figured three people would get birthday cake and everyone else would watch them eat. I smiled and asked bigger. The assistant then explained that they had a cake pan about twice the size. I nodded, “Texas size.”
When selecting the novelty to place on the cake, Christy remembered as a teenager that Marife liked the TV show, “Darna.” Darna is a Filipino super heroine, whose American counterpart is “Wonder Woman.” Like “Wonder Woman” in the United States, “Darna” is a character in the Philippines that is always portrayed by the most beautiful Filipina actresses of every generation in the movies and on TV. Darna has always been a positive role model for Filipina girls.
Back in the 1980s, whenever a Darna TV show or movie came on, I plopped down on the sofa beside Ramon and Marife to watch. Thus, the Darna super heroine doll stood tall in a corner of the cake.
The Good Morning Bakery birthday cake was pleasing to the eye. I was impressed by the taste. The vanilla cake was moist to the tongue. Regardless of where I have been in the world and had birthday cakes or wedding cakes, one thing I always remember is that sometimes the cakes are dry.
Once the cake comes in contact with your tongue you dash like a man in the desert for the nearest source of liquid to quench your steel wool thirst. Christy overcomes the dryness problem with cakes by using butter to keep the cake moist.
Christy Warren serves up a helping of birthday cake and pancit canton to Edwin Mora. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
I do not know how the Good Morning Bakery kept this cake moist, but it passed my tongue test and I enjoyed the cake. Naturally, I would of liked the cake to be a tad more moist, but, when it comes to food I am “picky.” I am a Scorpio, but, when it comes to food, my taste buds and stomach are obviously Virgo in the extreme – my eyes and digestive system give new meaning to the phrase, “Attention To Detail” and the word, “Perfection.”
The smiling faces of the attendees and the second-helpings were a testament to the flavor of the birthday cake. And the icing was a favorite with the adults as well as the kids.
Marife is not the only Saldana relative, who celebrates May 29 as the birthday. Randy Abano, a second cousin, is a close family member, who also shares the Gemini day.
All Western astrological signs have their positive and negative values and Gemini is a sign often considered to be “moody.” However, Marife and Randy remind me of the famous American Gemini, who served as a United States Navy PT boat commander, who went on to become a great American President – John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Before the birthday party began, Ranyiel Saldana handed one of the pet pigeons to Randy Abano to examine. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Randy is a quiet young man, who is always ready to help out.
Perhaps, he is “picky” about dating because he is still a single man.
Before I conclude this birthday article, I leave my readers two points to ponder.
Point Number One
In my lifetime, at birthday parties, I have always noticed that usually it seems the birthday boy or the birthday girl is expected “to cut the cake.” Why is that ?
The birthday is the day of days, when the individual can truly celebrate the anniversary of their birth into this world. It is the one time every year, when every man, woman and child should be respected as one of “God’s unique gifts to the Universe.” While family and friends usually do try to honor the person, the glitch always seems to come at cake time. Instead of a family member or friend stepping up from the ranks to do the honor, the birthday boy or birthday girl is usually left positioned behind the cake to decide how to cut if, while the fate of the Free World and human civilization hangs in the balance.
Someone hands them a knife, and leaves the birthday boy or birthday girl to decide, “How do I cut the cake ?”
On my birthday, I always smile, step back and would hand the knife to my mother, Cousin Donna, or my wife, Christy, and reply, “I do a lousy job of cutting a cake.” I knew my talents in life did not include cake cutting, thus, one of my trusted love ones had to have a more precise skill of cake cutting than I would ever master.
In my experience, most people usually stand there bewildered until some hungry family member takes pity and decides to step up to assist. I am no protocol person, but on someone’s special day, the goal is to honor and celebrate their birthday. Thus, it should already be decided long before the traditional song is sung, who will step up to assume command of “The Cutting Of The Cake.”
Point Number Two
Most often a Wedding is an expensive personal ceremony that ranks right up their with Presidential Ignauration Ceremonies. All the planning, pomp and circumstance goes into planning weddings as though it were a re-enactment of “The D-Day Landing.” After the traditional “cutesie moment” of the bride “smushing” cake into her new husband’s face and him doing likewise to his new wife, then, the marvelous machinery of the wedding celebration rockets into high gear and the wedding cake is quickly distributed to the masses.
Unfortunately, Birthday Celebrations are sometimes one of those “Fly By The Seat Of Your Pants” events that suggests you are making it up as you go along. The best birthday celebrations always seem to collapse like a fallen cake at serving time. One reason maybe the absence of the ingenious device – “The Cake Server” – a utensil shaped like a pizza slice with a laid back L shaped handle that allows the utensil to slide in under the cake and raise it triumphantly in one piece up into the atmosphere.
Without the cake server, people’s stomachs always override their sense of logistics and spoons and forks are stabbed at the cake like prehistoric cave people trying to free the charbroiled dinosaur bone from the family flame pit. It is a given, that the piece of cake will wobble and collapse like a badly constructed tower, near, and sometimes actually in the plate. My solution is to use a knife and a fork or spoon to actually “balance” the piece of cake to the nearby plate. My crude forklift tactic usually prevents the cake from becoming a Tower of Babble re-enactment.
The Royal Imperial Professional College of Birthday Cake Taste Testers — of any country is kids. The Saldana and Roa kids enjoyment of The Good Morning Bakery of Palo’s birthday cake quickly attained a positive five-star rating from the M &Ms, to the vanilla flavor and the icing. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Of course, Marife and Randy’s birthday party went off without a hitch because Christy Warren is a natural born protocol officer. I suspect my wife must have been a protocol officer at a Royal European Court in one of her past lives.
Thus, when it came time to blow out the candles Marife and Randy made their wishes and blew out the candles.
The Birthday Dignitaries – Marife Saldana Roa and Randy Abano gather around the birthday cake, while Ann Ann Natividad watches in the background. Nikon D 100 Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Happy Birthday, Marife ! Happy Birthday, Randy !
Sam
Christy’s Easter Egg Hunt
Christy’s Easter Egg Hunt
by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Christy Warren made Filipino History Sunday, April 8, 2012. She introduced the Easter Egg Hunt tradition to her family. The Saldana Family of Leyte hosted the First Saldana Family Easter Egg Hunt in Barangay Baras, Tanauan, Leyte.
Christy Warren shows off an Easter egg
and an Eastern egg packet
for the First Saldana Family of Leyte Easter Egg Hunt.
Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
The nieces and nephews are out of school for summer vacation. Holy Week 2012 activities were still in full swing in The Republic of the Philippines. Christy likes passing along family traditions about the holidays. Easter Eggs are an American tradition that had no significance in the Philippines. It is a fun activity for kids.
Republican President Rutherford Birchard Hayes, own children, pestered their father, the 19th president, to let them have an Easter egg hunt, which became an “Official Function” of The White House in Washington D.C., in 1878.
Rayniel Saldana and Mac Mac Roa wait for the Easter Egg Hunt to begin Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Christy had seen that American kids loved their Easter baskets and hunting for Easter eggs, so chances are Filipino kids would enjoy the challenge.
During Holy Week, Christy bought three dozen eggs for the kids to color. Then, Christy,Gilbert Roa, Pina Gempis, Vergie Saldana and Leneil Saldana put bite size candy bars into small bags to create Easter packets to go with the Easter eggs.
Master of Ceremonies Gilbert Roa, had been directed by his aunt, Christy Warren, to hide the Easter eggs the evening before. The kids had spent Saturday painting Easter eggs, so they were anxious for the Easter egg hunt.
Judylyn Gempis, Vanissa Saldana, baby, Randolph Mora, Edwin Mora, Rachel Mora, and John Paul Gempis wait for the Easter Egg Hunt to begin. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Chrismar Roa and Ranillo Saldana wait for the Easter Egg Hunt to begin.
Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
At Oh- Dark-Thirty, which was 3:30 a.m., members of the Saldana Family began arriving for Christy’s Easter Egg Hunt. Plastic bags and an empty dog food sack filled the void of no commercial Easter baskets being available in the province.
Gilbert explained the rules at 6 a.m. Rayniel Saldana gave the benediction. After Rayniel’s Easter Sunrise prayer, Gilbert said the magic word, “Begin.”
John Paul Gempis finds an Easter Egg packet tucked inside the stacks of coconut logs. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Rayniel and Mac Mac Roa, could well be the human incarnations of “Flash, the fastest human being alive” because they dash out to begin looking for Easter eggs.
Junea Tanahale looks for hidden Easter eggs in the front yard. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Ranillo Saldana looks for Easter eggs in the coconut logs. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
The adults were in a mood to watch the kids at work. Mano Bito strolled through the yard and Marife Roa strolled around the yard to make sure the kids were finding the hidden Easter eggs.
Marife Roa watches the kids hunt for Easter eggs.
Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
The Saldana, Roa, Tanahale, Mora and Gempis kids rushed around the house, into a shed and back into the house to check for Easter eggs.
Randolph and Rachel Mora pose for a photo with their Easter packets. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Randolph Mora encourages his father, Edwin, to open the Easter egg packet.
Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
With the determined diligence of NBI and FBI agents, the kids left no nook and cranny overlooked in their intense investigation of the premises.
The hunt lasted 45 minutes and the kids found all their Easter eggs and the Easter egg packets.
Randolph and sister, Mora, examine their Easter egg packets.
Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Then, of course, the kids were ready for the next Holy Week 2012 activity, which would involve a deployment to Pedro Bay.
Pedro Bay, of course, is the waters of the Western Philippine Sea, South China Sea, which is the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which washes upon the West Coast of the United States.
In the United States of America, across the International Date Line, The First Family of the United States of America at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, would host The White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday, April 9, 2012, on the south lawn of the White House.
Rayniel Saldana, Mac Mac Roa, John Paul Gempis and Adrian Dolo pose with Easter eggs. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
LINKS
WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL http://www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll
THE WHITE HOUSE BLOG http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog
WIKIPEDIA EASTER EGG ROLLING http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_rolling
Christy’s Easter Egg Hunt, by Samuel E. Warren Jr., Filipino History, Sunday, April 8 2012, The Saldana Family of Leyte, First Saldana Family Easter Egg Hunt, Barangay Baras, Tanauan, Leyte, Philippines, Republic of the Philippines, Pinoy, Eastern Visayas, summer vacation, Holy Week 2012, Easter Eggs, kids, Republican President Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the 19th president, The White House, Washington D.C., Easter baskets, Christy Warren, Gilbert Roa, Pina Gempis, Vergie Saldana, Leneil Saldana, Easter packets, Mano Bito, Marife Roa, Saldana, Roa, Tanahale, Mora, Gempis, NBI, FBI, Pedro Bay. Western Philippine Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, West Coast of the United States, the International Date Line, The First Family of the United States of America, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, The White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday April 9 2012, south lawn of the White House
Christy’s Easter Egg Hunt, by Samuel E. Warren Jr., Filipino History, Sunday, April 8 2012, The Saldana Family of Leyte, First Saldana Family Easter Egg Hunt, Barangay Baras, Tanauan, Leyte, Philippines, Republic of the Philippines, Pinoy, Eastern Visayas, summer vacation, Holy Week 2012, Easter Eggs, kids, Republican President Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the 19th president, The White House, Washington D.C., Easter baskets, Christy Warren, Gilbert Roa, Pina Gempis, Vergie Saldana, Leneil Saldana, Easter packets, Mano Bito, Marife Roa, Saldana, Roa, Tanahale, Mora, Gempis, NBI, FBI, Pedro Bay. Western Philippine Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, West Coast of the United States, the International Date Line, The First Family of the United States of America, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, The White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday April 9 2012, south lawn of the White House
Photography Patrol–Lumpia Making In The Province–Photos by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Lumpia Making In The Province – Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr. Pina Gempis reaches into the shopping bag. Leneil Saldana straightens the ingredients on the spoon. Vergie Saldana takes a banana break. Analyn rolls a lumpia wrapper, while Endoy reaches for the lumpia ingredients with a spoon. Edwin Saldana watches and smiles. Lumpia is a Filipino favorite that is like a burrito or an egg roll. Christy Warren and the Saldana women all have their recopies for making lumpia, which can be a time-consuming process. However, once the lumpia is rolled, it can be placed in the ice box until it is time to cook. Lumpia is a great snack and with fried rice can make for a complete meal. The Saldana women and their male recruits rolled the lumpia as one of the foods to be served, during this Holy Week. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Lumpia Ready To Cook – Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr. This plate of lumpia is ready to cook. What makes lumpia preparation time consuming is the chopping up of the ingredients like carrots, onions, bell pepper, and pork. Lumpia wrapper tend to be extremely thin, thus, the wrappers stick together quite easily and you have to have patience to carefully separate the wrappers from each other. In the States, when Christy could not find lumpia wrappers, she would use egg roll wrappers, which also work well. Once the lumpia is wrapped, it simply has to be cooked. The cooking process is more like frying, but the lumpia rolls turn out to be a crispy, delicious, golden brown. No doubt there are many places on the World Wide Web were you can find a lumpia recipe, but if you want Christy’s Lumpia Recipe, then, you will have to email me at samuelwarren55@gmail.com Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Pina Gempis, Leneil Saldana, Vergie Saldana, Edwin Saldana, Analyn, Endoy, lumpia, province, Filipino, Filipinas, Philippines, Republic of the Philippines, Barangay Baras, Barangay Cameri, Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Tanauan, Tacloban City, Fil-Am, tropics, cooking water, gourmet, snack, Holy Week 2012Pina Gempis, Leneil Saldana, Vergie Saldana, Edwin Saldana, Analyn, Endoy, lumpia, province, Filipino, Filipinas, Philippines, Republic of the Philippines, Barangay Baras, Barangay Cameri, Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Tanauan, Tacloban City, Fil-Am, tropics, cooking water, gourmet, snack, Holy Week 2012
Photography Patrol — Graduation Exercises Underway In The Republic of the Philippines
Graduation Exercises Underway In The Republic of the Philippines
by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
( BARANGAY CAMIRE, REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) – Graduation exercises in the Republic of the Philippines are underway. Throughout the 7,107 islands of this nation. Parents, teachers, administrators and student have come together to carry out the annual rites of graduation. The theme of graduations throughout the islands, this year, appears to be “Nation Building” as those two words are displayed on auditorium walls and emphasized in speeches by valedictorians, salutatorians and keynote speakers. Pina Gempis took a General Electric digital camera and Emelyn Lodo took the photos of the graduation exercises that got underway in Camire, March 28, 2012.
Judylyn and Pina Gempis pose for the photographer at the Camire Graduation Exercises, March 28, 2012. Photo by Emelyn Lodo
As the photos of local graduations are processed, check the websites: “Samuel Warren The Writer” on blogspot and the “Sam I Am Blog” on Word Press. Compiled photographs in an album format will be posted on the Samuel Warren Facebook page for parents, grandparents and relatives to download of photographs their graduates.
My Momma Is A Welder
My Momma Is A Welder – Opal M. DeLong Warren served as one of the welders in the Todd Houston Shipyard, in Houston, Texas, during World War II. Momma encouraged me to refine my welding skills when I took vocational agriculture in high school. And, now, Ramon, in Leyte, is using his welding skills on the farm. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
My mother, Opal M. DeLong Warren was a welder in the Todd Houston Shipyard, in Houston, Texas, during World War II.
Today, February 28, 2012, is momma’s birthday. She was born on this day in 1920, the year the Show Me State gave women the right to vote.
Born in Peach Tree Holler, near Reeds Springs, Missouri. She rode a horse called, “Shorty,” to the Bear Den school.
She grew up on the farm in southwest Missouri. During World War II, momma and a friend got on a Greyhound bus and decided to see where it would take them. They did it on a whim. The girl got off the bus in Dallas. Momma didn’t like the looks of Dallas so she got back on the bus. When the bus stopped in Houston, she decided she liked the looks of Houston and got off the bus.
She knew no one in Houston.
She would often tell me the money she had in her pocket only allowed her to eat bread and drank water until she got a job about a week later. She saw an ad in the newspaper for welders.
She didn’t even know what a welding machine looked like.
First Day Of Welding School Story
Todd Houston officials sent her to welding school. “The first day of welding school all I had to wear was a white satin blouse. The sparks from the welding rod burned several holes in my blouse. I had to ride the bus back across town home. I was so embarrassed,” said Opal Warren.
Momma loved to tell her “First Day Of Welding School” story, especially years later when I took welding in vow-ag in high school.
She said she was proud of the U.S. Navy ships that she welded on, but admitted that it was sad when they launched because with the war on she knew “some of the boys that served on the ships probably wouldn’t be coming home.”
Momma would have been 92 today.
“Momma’s Boy”
But, she left this life Friday, June 11, 2004 in Springfield, Missouri. Being a “Momma’s Boy,” her spirit lives on. Today in Leyte, Philippines, my wife, Christy and I talked about momma to her brothers, sister, nieces and nephews. Now, The Legend Of Opal Warren will live on – on two continents – the United States and the Philippines.
In the United States, I had adopted the Filipino Death Anniversary custom to observe my mother’s passing each year. But, since her passing, Christy and I usually just talk about Momma and light a candle at 6 p.m., to honor her memory.
The Death Anniversary Custom involves placing a favorite drink, a plate of food or a favorite food, by a candle. If the person smoked a pipe or cigarette then the custom suggest that tobacco also be placed by the food. This year, the candle burns, in front of a small Santa Nino and a larger Santa Nino. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
In her lifetime, momma always commented, “I’m too old to celebrate birthdays, so, I just quit having them.” Still,if it looked like we had forgotten momma’s birthday, then, she would get solemn. Of course, when the guests started showing up, a smile would come to her face. Regardless of what she said, momma did enjoy celebrating her birthday and she truly enjoyed friends and neighbors stopping by to share her day.
Beyond Birthdays
My mother was always important to me. She still is. And the lessons she tried to teach me, I now pass on in the form of Stateside wisdom to my nieces and nephews.
We went to the open air Tacloban City Public Market, the Palo Public Market and shopped in Tanauan today.
A Lantsa boat is tied up in the waters of Pedro Bay in Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines. The Tacloban City Public Market is in the background. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
The Tacloban City Public Market Fish Section is located beside the bay. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
Stroll along the corridors of the Palo Public Market to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, rice and other merchandise. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
When we returned home, Christy, her sister, Marife, cousin, Pina and Ann Ann prepared supper : Pork sticks, pancit bihon,pancit canton, rice, sweet and sour fish, cake and ice cream. At dinner, Christy and I talked about Momma.
Pina Gempis
Marife Saldana Roa serves the chocolate cake. Photo by Samuel E. Warren Jr.
I’m convinced Momma’s spiritual presence showed up early this morning. Yesterday, we bought a welding helmet and Ramon rented an arc welder. Today, was the day he placed together pieces of pipe to weld a gate for his hog pen. In my childhood, momma raised 25 head of hogs on 10 acres and each one of the old sows usually had a litter of 8 to 17 pigs. Momma had Yorkshire, Hampshire and Duroc hogs.
Here in Leyte, Ramon has a Yorkshire sow that has six pigs, (or piglets as they are called in the Philippines). I can imagine that when Ramon was welding the gate today there was probably a presence looking over his shoulder and whispering, “Not so fast. Take your time. Make small circles with the molten metal. Concentrate and you can run a nice bead.”
After all, My Momma Is A Welder.
Happy Birthday, Momma.
samwarren55
Sam I Am Blog 