Filipino Party in Winnemucca!

Venue: Swimming Lesson Bldg., City Park

Date: June 15, 2008

Time: 4:00 o'clock PM

I was sleepless the night before. I was too excited. Hubby said he couldn't come with me because he has to go to bed early for his work the following morning. Jen and Jun declined when they learned from their dad that he is not coming. So I was expecting to come alone. Okey fine, whatever.

Nath and i decided to bring foods with us to the party. She choose to bring her yummy Leche Flan (i love it!) and I asked Ricardo to buy me "lechon manok". Since I was coming alone, Nath and Randy fetched me. But when Ricardo learned that Randy is coming and other hubbies are also coming, he promised he will come to the party later.

We got there at around 4:30pm. Only few people were there yet. Children were swimming outside. Emy was there smiling at us, she was too accommodating, we exchanged hellos. From the corner of my eyes, i was looking for Ate Henny and the other older woman whom i met at Raley's. Not yet around. But I saw more or less five "grandma"- looking women in the center table. I doubted if they were Filipinos. As I listened to their conversation, they were speaking English language. They looked like Americans, though.

A smiling lady approached us and offer a hand shake. I talked to her in Tagalog, "saan ka sa Pinas?" and she shook her head and made a gesture. She did not get what i meant. She said she only knew few Tagalog words, only basic words. She asked us about what the Filipinos are famous for, about being coming late always... Nath answered, "Filipino Time!" and she got it right, hehehe! Everyone laughed!

Here came Ate Henny and Ate Solidad, Sol for short (the older woman whom Emy was with at the Raley's) with their respective hubbies and kids. An hour late! And my Ricardo came in too. And more people were coming. They were bringing foods too. Speaking of foods, wooow... pure filipino foods were being served! Lumpya, bihon, bistek, gulaman, empanada, adobong manok, atbp! BUT No lechon baboy. Sigh.

Hubby and I went back to the house to get my teeners because everyone wanted to meet them too. Its good that the park is close to the street where we lived. I was happy that everyone cared to meet my teeners, hehehe. But when they saw them, I heard someone said, "oh.. anak mo ba talaga ang mga yan? o mga kapatid mo?" Ahahahaha! Ahem! I took it as a compliment ha!

Ricardo and Randy were just sitting in the corner, observing us the whole time, smiling... Randy tried to eat the foods. Ricardo declined politely when somebody offered him foods. Gosh!

Anyways, we introduced ourselves to everyone. I only remembered few names (except Henny, Sol and Emy). Josie: her hubby is a Geologist. She has 2 kids. She was very funny. According to her, she has a struggling English but it helps her somehow to teach her kids a Tagalog words, hehehe. I liked her because she is too honest and so i admitted it to her also that i am struggling the same way. Her family will soon move out for Australia. They have been in Canada before they came here to US. She got to travel allot of countries because of her hubby's job. Lucky for her!

Sharon: (pronounced as Sherine daw), is the woman who knew few Tagalog words but she is trying to teach her kids to speak our language (I wonder how can she do that hehehe, she only knew few Tagalog words, right?). She said she danced Itik-Itik and Tinikling last month as presentation in her kid's school activity and she is planning to dance "Pandango sa Ilaw" next time. She is a very proud mom to her daughter whom a champion and a scholar in a dance school here. Her hubby was not around but she said he is a Mining Engineer.

Jen: a Chemical Engineer, single and bubbly! She called me and Nath "Tita". She works as a chemist in one of the mines here. She shared her experiences about being late twice going to work. Such a Filipino she is! She could have get fired. But good she was not. Well, mining needs a chemist after all.

Anita: very short but motherly among the Pinays around. I think she was in her mid 50's already. She was still 3 months old when she got here. Cannot speak Tagalog. But in fairness, she got a very tall and pogi hubby, hehehe.

I forgot the name of the host of the party, as in! Bad me. I think the party is kind of a thanksgiving party because her son has just graduated in High School. Her son was there of course and he was recognized and introduced to us but i could not just remember his name either. Shame on me.

The "oldies" in the center table i mentioned earlier has their own world, hehehe. They did not introduced their names.They were too occupied talking with each other. But when I asked them for a picture taking they were readily projected and smiled in the camera. I learned that they were all Filipino but are now "americanized". I called them "the old filipina generation". And I claimed that the rest are the "new Filipino generation". I guess, I am right.

In between our conversation, somebody confessed that at first she was hesitant to talk to me and nath because she thought we were not Filipinos. She thought that Nath was a Chinese and that I was a Mexican. We were kinda "shocked" to hear that! "Whaaaat?" And everyone confirmed that they really doubted us at first, hehehehe! Its good that we know how to speak Tagalog!

It was a nice experience for me. As sociable, extrovert, exposed and as friendly as I am, the party somehow made my boredom and homesickness diminished... diminished lang... not vanished! Haaay... truly, there is no other place like HOME!