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Bowling & Valentine's Day by GP Nol Banzon'68
CONGRATULATIONS!
Our very own UP BS North Bowling Team won two top awards in the recently concluded UP Alumni Association of San Francisco (UPAASF) held last Jan 31st at the Family Bowl in Fremont, California. Our team composed of Brods Vic Gacusan'53, Dr. Titing Valdez'61, Sam Moraleda (son of Gabby) and Vicente Jr .( son of Titing) proved too much as they emerged Team Champion with 1950 pinfalls. Vicente Jr. bowled 509 to capture Best Male Bowler. Macey Santos won the Best Female Bowler. Bowling and Golf tournaments are yearly sports undertaken by UPAASF and participated by alumni and friends in the SF Bay area.
Our fraternity is an active participant of UPAASF activities, contributing talents in leadership (Brod Pogs Gaspay is a past president (2008-09), Gabby is the current vice president as well as Ric Velasco, Eric Punzalan, Vic Gacusan and Nol Banzon in the BOD) as well as in sports and other alumni undertaking.
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We celebrated Valentine's Day last Saturday Feb. 13th at "Villa Salud", residence of our dear Brod Johnny and Sis Gloria in Sunnyvale CA. By the time I got at the site at around 2pm, Boy and Irma and Ric were around, while the Salud's were busy preparing food, drinks and entertaining the incoming guests. One thing noticeable at the Villa was the huge mohogany door leading to the house aside from the big palm tree on the right side of the property with accented flowers and other ornamentals decorating the front yard. Inside was hardwood floor allover with a half winding stairs leading to four bedroom and four baths . At the ground floor were two more bedrooms with one bath room each. It seems that our Brod Johnny made use of his Forestry background as well as his ingenuity at the time of construction. At the backyard were fruit trees with new leaves and buds sprouting. A tree filled with oranges so tempting to pick but unfortunately not yet ripe for the taking. Weather was perfect! Felt like Spring time.
By around mid afternoon, more brods and sis were arriving, so we partook of the served meal made by our hosts and the food brought by our Betan family. As expected, deer stew was served courtesy of Johnny who last hunting season bagged a deer from the mountains of Northern California.
A short meeting ensued at around 5pm, brods were gathered around the bar, each one with a glass of wine and or a Remy Martin with sushi prepared in full view of the brothers by our Japanese trained Sis Lleva and Brod Gerry as our 'pulutan", and as the minutes went by, the passage of our 2010 CY Budget aside from other updates and other matters that needed action was accomplished.
After the meeting, one by one our Betan family regrouped according to their likes and interests. The "poker boys" sat in a table with cards and a gaming mantel with chips all around. The sisters clustered near the dining table with their "girls talk" full of fun, laughter and "kantyawan" as if they have not seen each other for years. A group gathered at the karaoke center. A group of brods discussing projects and activities that needed action and anything under the sun. The whole ground floor was filled with laughter and voices echoed. Wow, what a happening! With all loaded up, what do you expect!
Around were Boy and Irma, Pogs and May, Bobby and Harlean from Salinas (200 miles away), Ding and Julie, Gabby and Cy, Titing and Cheng, Eric and Lita, Gerry and Lleva, Val and Ruby and of course our host Johnny and Gloria. As usual singles included Ric, Winston, Gene, myself, and from far away Sacramento, JR and Rotsen and our debonair Kiko from Vallejo who graced the occasion just wanting to be with the crowd. Titing Valdez Jr, UPAASF best male bowling champion together with his wife and two kids were there too.
So slowly as the evening came, parting time went by. As usual the "pokeristas" and their loved ones remained. By midnight as some of us still look to our Cinderella image, it was really time to go.
Well, the saying Valentines Day is not only for lovers is true, it can also include a meeting, a girls talk, group dynamics with "high spirit" on the air with ideas that will make our politicians look novice, karaoke, and a poker game on the side. That's what UP North Family is all about.
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