Dec 22: All in the Family
Shortly after our arrival, we were able to visit family on both my Mom's and my Dad's side -- on the same day! At least, Luis didn't have to be nervous any longer. Also, he will be able to practice his mano (Filipino tradition of greeting our elders) with my uncles.
Lunch with Dad's side. To visit my Dad's side, we went to Pasig to where my grandma is staying. We met up with my uncle, my aunts, and my cousins. Not everyone could make it for lunch, but we scheduled another time to meet my other cousins. My aunts, Tita Nor and Tita Noralyn (it could get confusing), and my cousins, Miko and Lui (this got confusing, too), cooked a feast! We devoured crispy chicken nuggets, rellenong bangus (stuffed milkfish), crispy fried pork (seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic), suha (pomelo), buko pandan salad (coconut and pandan salad), and sapin-sapin (a dessert made of "layers" of glutinous rice and coconut). My uncle, Tito Boyo, was really nice, making Luis feel very welcome. He made sure Luis got to taste everything and knew what all the food was. We were incredibly stuffed when we left! But it wasn't the last feast for the day.
Outdoor shooting. After lunch, we went to my cousin, Kuya Mannix, on my Mom's side. He and Luis shared similar interests, so he offered to bring us to an outdoor shooting range. We were prepared with our super ear protectors and extra clothes.
Kuya Mannix shoots competitively, so he guided Luis through some basic shooting exercises just to get his feet wet. It was a whole new experience for him, because Luis has never done it before. He got to shoot poppers and still targets. But it wasn't just Luis who was trying something new. I also got to shoot a gun for the very first time! Kuya Mannix lent his gun and guided me a little bit. What I didn't realize was that I was supposed to hang on to the gun tight and make sure it doesn't move. So when I pulled the trigger, the gun kicked back and I released the grip on my left hand just a little. This caused the gun to almost fly out of my hand. In the video that Luis took, I unknowingly cursed several times right after. The cool thing is I did hit the target! But I didn't try again after. Maybe next time.
Dinner with Mom's side. When we got back from the shooting range, Kuya Mannix made us a snack of hamburgers, showing off his Weber grill. The hamburgers were delicious! While eating, the rest of the family started coming in. The reason why we had dinner at Kuya Mannix's house was because it was his birthday, so it was a double celebration.
When I was younger, we never missed a Christmas to get together, so this was a treat for me! My aunt, Tita Lulu, is the greatest cook I know, so I was looking forward to the feast. She made Kuya Mannix's (and mine, too) favorite, kare-kare (oxtail peanut stew). But when she made kare-kare, it has to be paired with chicken and pork adobo (the term refers to the cooking process, more than the dish, but its base is soy sauce and vinegar). I don't think anyone can quite beat my Tita Lulu's cooking, so I feel sad writing this now and missing it.
The night soon ended, but not before we got pictures of everyone. And just before we left, Luis said goodbye to my uncle, Tito Tony, with a mano, pleasantly surprising him and me! I think Luis has just fit right in!
Lunch with Dad's side. To visit my Dad's side, we went to Pasig to where my grandma is staying. We met up with my uncle, my aunts, and my cousins. Not everyone could make it for lunch, but we scheduled another time to meet my other cousins. My aunts, Tita Nor and Tita Noralyn (it could get confusing), and my cousins, Miko and Lui (this got confusing, too), cooked a feast! We devoured crispy chicken nuggets, rellenong bangus (stuffed milkfish), crispy fried pork (seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic), suha (pomelo), buko pandan salad (coconut and pandan salad), and sapin-sapin (a dessert made of "layers" of glutinous rice and coconut). My uncle, Tito Boyo, was really nice, making Luis feel very welcome. He made sure Luis got to taste everything and knew what all the food was. We were incredibly stuffed when we left! But it wasn't the last feast for the day.
Outdoor shooting. After lunch, we went to my cousin, Kuya Mannix, on my Mom's side. He and Luis shared similar interests, so he offered to bring us to an outdoor shooting range. We were prepared with our super ear protectors and extra clothes.
Kuya Mannix shoots competitively, so he guided Luis through some basic shooting exercises just to get his feet wet. It was a whole new experience for him, because Luis has never done it before. He got to shoot poppers and still targets. But it wasn't just Luis who was trying something new. I also got to shoot a gun for the very first time! Kuya Mannix lent his gun and guided me a little bit. What I didn't realize was that I was supposed to hang on to the gun tight and make sure it doesn't move. So when I pulled the trigger, the gun kicked back and I released the grip on my left hand just a little. This caused the gun to almost fly out of my hand. In the video that Luis took, I unknowingly cursed several times right after. The cool thing is I did hit the target! But I didn't try again after. Maybe next time.
Dinner with Mom's side. When we got back from the shooting range, Kuya Mannix made us a snack of hamburgers, showing off his Weber grill. The hamburgers were delicious! While eating, the rest of the family started coming in. The reason why we had dinner at Kuya Mannix's house was because it was his birthday, so it was a double celebration.
When I was younger, we never missed a Christmas to get together, so this was a treat for me! My aunt, Tita Lulu, is the greatest cook I know, so I was looking forward to the feast. She made Kuya Mannix's (and mine, too) favorite, kare-kare (oxtail peanut stew). But when she made kare-kare, it has to be paired with chicken and pork adobo (the term refers to the cooking process, more than the dish, but its base is soy sauce and vinegar). I don't think anyone can quite beat my Tita Lulu's cooking, so I feel sad writing this now and missing it.
The night soon ended, but not before we got pictures of everyone. And just before we left, Luis said goodbye to my uncle, Tito Tony, with a mano, pleasantly surprising him and me! I think Luis has just fit right in!
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