Christmas Family Reunion 2007

The Buenaventura – Marcelino clan again reunite

A gathering that has become a tradition of sorts through the years happens every evening of Christmas day when my family meets up with my first cousins’ (the Velasco family) and other relatives from my mother’s side of the family.

It started way back at least during the early 90’s. I remember our family hosting one of these reunions at my parents’ home in Administration St. where a lot of our relatives really came together.

Eating time!

Cousin Arsenio and wife Gigi sweetly share dinner on one plate

The event is really quite simple. People come and catch up with one another's lives, have a nice pot luck dinner followed by a much anticipated talent and raffle prize packed program.

Baby Faith gives her Tita Emy a kiss

People anxiously await the next raffle prize

The prizes aren’t really expensive and the money raffled off isn’t in the millions but everyone still feels the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. The talent portion lets the kids show off their stuff. It’s a great way to shed off their shyness and build self confidence early on. And when the prize money is large enough even the “shy” adults join the fray!

Raffles galore!


People look at their numbers

“Show me the money!” Arsen displays the cash prize

I think Eric won this time

The Mendoza family racks up some cool prizes

The kids show off their dancing skills

Faith dances a solo performance

My niece Patricia calls out another winning number

Moms do the world famous “Papaya” dance

What makes everyone come back to such a simple event?

The camaraderie, the joy, the competition, the winnings, the gifts, the smiles and the fun of doing it all over again!

The clan’s message to the world: Merry Christmas!

Till next year. God bless.

Christmas Day 2007

It’s Christmas time.

My most favorite time of the year is here again.

Like in the previous years, we spent our Christmases with our relatives in Project 8. This year, we spent Christmas at my parents’ home at Administration St. My family hears the evening Mass held at the GSIS Village Plaza on Christmas eve. A Catholic Church parish was established where there used to be only a chapel. The Misang Aguinaldo (Christmas Eve Mass) this year was well attended. I remember some years back when the number of mass goers during these evenings considerably dwindled probably opting to hear the morning mass on Christmas Day itself.

The extended Mendoza family

Baby Faith is beginning to appreciate the significance and joy of the season. She probably has no memory of her two previous Christmases but this one is sure to be sketched in her mind. Gifts are a major attraction but knowing Christmas as the birthday of Baby Jesus has been the most important learning she has gained at this point.

The three boys on the other hand more or less know what the Christmas season brings in. During the last Kids for Christ Cluster Christmas party where they all participated, I hope they at least somewhat realized that the season is not only about receiving but giving and sharing one’s self as well.

Joshua is the first to open our gifts to the kids on Christmas morn

Joshua seemed the most excited about opening his share of Christmas gifts. Maybe it really is during these years as a young kid that one is very excited about what Santa Claus will bring him at year’s end. I should know. I was like that kid for a very long time.

Now as a parent, I want to make sure the children experience the same joys I felt before. As they say, you can’t put a tag on your children’s happiness.

Toy: A few hundred bucks

Joshua’s patented sheepish smile: Priceless

The kids enjoy their gifts

The older brothers show off their new cool rock & roll shirts

Merry Christmas Lovey!

Faith joins my brother Eric, his wife Phoebe and their baby daughter Rainbow

That Christmas day, we were joined by my brother Eric, his wife Phoebe and their young daughter Rainbow. We don’t get to see each other often especially now that his family is based in Angels City, Pampanga.

Our other brother, Minmin works and has been in California for the last 8 years. Our only sister, Inas, the youngest of the siblings lives with our parents.

I guess our lives have gone on very different paths that we rarely have the time and opportunity to be complete together as before.

Christmas is then made more special by the fact that majority of us get to reconnect again with each other on this day, if only for a few but memorable moments.

The children play on

Junior reaches for Santa’s gift in old worn out stockings

Santa gives him a pair of drumsticks for 2007

Faith opens her Dora the Explorer gift

A successfully built road network

Late in the afternoon, my extended family prepares for a much anticipated family reunion. But that is the subject of another blog post.

Thank you, Lord for coming to the world some two thousand years ago.

Thank you, Lord for loving us.

Thank you, for this season of hope and joy.

It’s Christmas time again.

Evening Mass at the Church of the Gesu

A pre-evening Mass musical presentation

Hearing one of the evening Masses at the Church of the Gesu during the Advent season is slowly beginning to be a family tradition. Last year, I attended one of these evening Masses that was sponsored by the Gawad Kalinga Youth of the Ateneo. Each evening Mass was sponsored by a different Atenean organization. Immediately before the start of every Mass, a different Ateneo-based chorale would deliver a mini-concert and then serve as the choir during the Eucharistic celebration.

Church-goers, many of which attend as a whole family as well, treat themselves to various snack meals offered by food stalls or to some merchandise that are sold across the street from the church in a field named after Jesuit priest, Fr. Bellarmine. Several trees lined up beside the street were nicely lit which along with other light sources provided enough brightness for people to play in field, hold presentations or just hang around for fellowship.

I was so blessed by the whole experience that I brought them to Ateneo last year and back again this December. The solemnity of the Mass has not been eroded and noticeably, it remained for many a family affair to enjoy with each other.

Evening Mass at the Church of the Gesu: An emerging Mendoza family tradition

Having a great time at the Bellarmine field

Like last year, after the Mass, we again ate merienda like the popular Shawarma sandwich with soft drinks from the food stalls while relaxingly sitting down on the green grass of Bellarmine field.

The kids particularly Joshua and Faith loved running around the field under the night sky, many times playing with the other kids and only stopping to have a quick bite and/or a quick drink.

Coming to and going back to our Fairview home from Ateneo de Manila University even on such a late hour is not easy. But the experience and family bonding is well worth it!

Junior performs at the Victory Heights Subdivision Battle of the Bands

Anathema Band rocks the night away in Victory Heights Subdivision

My eldest son has pure musical talent.

A lot of other young people have the same talents, some probably even better. But what set him apart from many of these gifted individuals is his ability to remain humble in his craft, constantly thankful to the Lord and the eagerness to share his skills with friends or anyone who simply wants to learn.

On the evening of December 8, Junior played the bass guitar with members of a band called Anathema at a place called Victory Heights Subdivision in the northern most part of Caloocan City. Dubbed “Unang Hakbang Tugtugan Tungo Sa Pagkakaisa (First Step: A Musical Concert Towards Unity) Battle of the Bands”, a group called Friends of Victory Heights organized this activity in cooperation with the Sangguniang Barangay of Barangay 180 Zone 16 of the said city. It seemed to have been part of the area’s celebration of the religious Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Prior to this date, Junior for the past few days has been helping the band members prepare for this event.

Sonny Boy and I came to watch to their band play. The activity held at the subdivision’s covered basketball court appeared to have been very successful judging by the droves of people who also came to watch the ten or so bands play it out for the honor of being pronounced as the event’s top band.

Band members are joined by friends and supporters

Junior’s band didn’t win any prize this time. But I believe their performance was at least one of the top five from the bands that performed that night. For the band members of Anathema, this was their first gig. Playing well without major hitches before a crowd of hundreds of people was reward enough. The good thing is that they all gained further experience in playing music and that they all enjoyed doing it!

Anathema is composed of:

Niňa Coronel – Vocals, Bass guitar
Fernando Mendoza, Jr. – Vocals, Bass and Rhythm guitars
Jason De Jesus – Lead guitars
Eimiel Toledo – Drums