The Khambattas say Bye and Hi to Mumbai

The gang has kinda known that Mark and Susan and family would be leaving for Mumbai for some time now , but every one pretended that it was really far away in the distance!

But time has its way of creeping up on you and there it was, our last chance to say Bye

But Mark and Susan have always been amazing people, accepting life with enthusiasm and energy, patience and joy! and taking change in their stride! So it was that their farewell party was a fun afternoon filled with friends, food and amazingly enough TAMBOLA!!! ( or Lotto/Housie as it is known on some planets!)

Everyone made the time to get together and gathered at out place on a lazy afternoon, the chief guests in the midst of their packing and last minute arrangments also hauled themselves all the way from Alabang!

The cake indicated that their bags were packed and they were leaving on a jet plane very soon ( though hopefully not Air india- apologies to those who belong to the air india fan club!!)

All those years of training in Mahim paid off, as Mark Hosted Housie Mumbai style- with the full complement of JALDI FIVE, Two fat ladies (the number 88 and no one in particular, lest you think us rude!) and even Four Corners!

Some interesting prizes ( secret of course and donated by people whose identity shall remain secret!) were won by the lucky winners

Innovation was the name of the game as there was even a couples four corners option!

There were winners, losers and some who still had several numbers unmarked even at the end, Mathemagic did you say?

It looked like we never left the housie sessions at the club and people joined in with full Gusto!

But the afternoon came to an end , with a big thank you from Mark to all those who had come, knowing everyone was really special he said.

Mark and Susan we are sad to see you go, and we wish you guys, Venetia, Uriah and Anoushka all the best for your time in Mumbai, you will always be in our thoughts and prayers!!

Till we meet again Fr Edison!

Its a sign that we just dont want to say goodbye to someone who has been at the core of our group for so long! We could not even bring ourselves to say farewell and opted for the more optimistic "Till we meet again".

But farewell it was and a strong reflection of the respect, warmth and affection that is afforded to Fr Edison by all who came.

Once again a special Farewell mass followed by dinner at the residence of Chef Laudico. This time the preperations were elaborate! The full shabang! bells and whistles ( also known as a plaque and Balloons)

Fr Edison however made sure that he did not leave us without a successor. In fact he introduced to the group not one but two priests who have now become regular members- Fr Joaquim and Fr Tony

Its not often that Fr Edison finds himself at the receiving end of a sermon from the mount! But this unfamiliar sight was made pleasant by an outstanding piece delivered by Bob Fernandes.

Bob , compared our friendship with Fr Edison to a journey ( on a train) and one could just imagine , people getting on and getting off, some chat a little and some keep their distance, while still others get off before the journeys end!

He reminded father to check his bag when he gets back since it might have got "heavier" with all the good memories! Well Bob, we couldnt have put it better than that! bravo!

We certainly have creative minds working on making the mass special! The offertory included a miniature Violin ( to celebrate Fr Edison's brilliant violin playing), a cross and to everyones amusement a Goan food recipe book! everything had a lot of meaning and evoked fond memories!

The choir did a good job as usual- and we found a new guitarist doing an excellent job - Joe Gene Quesada joined Savio in making sure the music was sublime ( we were so happy that Joe Gene, Jing and Alfonso could join us for this special day). We were also happy to meet Sylvies sister Xaviera, who was visiting from Canada and Jerry's mum.

A Farewell Poem- Till we meet again- made even more special by the fact that each Family came up to recite a verse.

Father then thanked everyone with a personal message of thanks to each of the families who had made his stay here more memorable.

Everyone then moved to the next destination, a garden retreat courtesy Chef laudico - where a stylish and delicious dinner was awaiting us. Complete with candles, shitake mushroom soup and risotto par excellence, it was an evening to remember.

Here we met a new addition to our group- Joe and Sheeba Thomas!

Fr Edison regaled us with his violin , with Savio and Joe Gene accompanying to liven up the evening! Time flies when you are having fun and before we knew it, it was time to call it a night.

So long , Farewell and God Bless Fr Edison, we are all so fortunate to have spent some time with you here in Manila. We wish you every success in the future, you will always be in our prayers!

We have a lot to be thankful for ( New years Thanksgiving Mass)

Saying Thank You has always been meaningful but when all our families come together to thank the lord for all the blessings that have been showered on us for the year 2006,it is special and uplifting. One of the special aspects that mark every mass is the "family" approach to it, right from the organisation- every family plays a part! someone swings in to write the introduction and someone else writes down the prayers, while still others handle the music - its almost like an orchestra of effort blends in to make it a joint effort of everyone! Fr Edison is always happy to say mass and organise the beautiful venue for it.

All the young and the "young at heart" pitched in. Robert , our favourite valedictarian, was followed by Ajoy, Venetia , Kim.

One of the "Bright" and "enlightening" ideas for offertory that was really unique was the presentation of candles- Each family offered one ( with their name on it) - almost like a light of celebration for a year that went well- a customised Thank you if you prefer.

A joint prayer by all the ladies was a nice touch to mark this part of the mass

Father Edison's sermon is as usual warm , personalised and insightful. He reminded us on the day of the feast of Infant Jesus- how children are a reflection of Gods daily miracles in our lives and how even some athiests were converted after experiencing the miracle of a childs birth!

The new year gives us a chance to feel reborn and renewed.

So yet another mass came to an end, and the celebration was taken forward to Amici- our Italian restaurant par compare. A mouthful of pasta and hands full of Pizza marked our dinner and as usual Amici did not dissapoint us!

A special thanks to everyone who contributed and participated- the readers, the choir, the participants and of course our very own Fr Edison.

THE GRAND FINALE AT THE ELLIS’ !!

After an avalanche of farewell dinners to dear Astrid and Melvyn, the ‘grand finale’ was graciously hosted by Maria n Eugene. I call it the grand finale because of a few reasons enlisted here..(of course the reasons are innumerable but could manage to post in just a few)

• The gracious and hospitable hosts , Maria, Eugene & Michael who took extra care to make us all feel at home and took personal care of each of us
• After a long time, almost the entire gang was there..Medora finally got a much needed break from her medical transcription course , and all of Astrid’s friends-Renu , Kanchan and Sirisha and their families were present to join in the cheer !
• A new addition to the group, Rev. Fr.Mark Mathias was present too. Although he resides and works at Cebu he made it a point to be there..(Well,now not only do we have 2 priests in the gang but 2 ‘Marks’ as well..)
• The ‘vada’s gave us a glimpse of the food fiesta that was to follow(or so I thought!)-light and very tasty..
• However, what followed was lavish gourmet cuisine all painstakingly prepared by Maria herself. From a variety of fusion of delicious Tangy Thai to Incredible India, complete with everything the Indian heart yearns for..a grand and incredibly tasty meal completed to perfection with our good old chappatis..(cant help using ‘ incredible’ all the while,the Indian tourism ad’s are making some impact!)
• Well,just as we thought that was the end to the buffets(veg and non veg),and the sumptuous meal,another meal was yet to follow..the meal of desserts..filipino,Indian,etc etc name it..and my,I think we actually licked our fingers clean with that mountain of a delicious cake not forgetting the aphrodisiacal brownies…!
• Of course, amidst all the grandeur of the great company and meal that we shared, Maria & Eugene’s beautiful home really ensured that this was truly a grand and befitting finale to Astrid n Melvyn’s stay in The Philippines and an affectionate farewell too.(Astrid ,we have declared you Chairperson of Our Club and no fears…all decisions taken will still need your approval.)

Thanks for a grand evening, Maria n Eugene..And to Astrid n Melvyn,a message from all of us here-To meet and part is a way of life , but to part and meet is the HOPE of life !! VIVA..(viva-to a great life –in Portuguese)

'Magic' at The Khambatta's

Magic at the Khambatta’s !! We all know that magic goes hand in hand with Alladin and his lamp and therefore Arabia…but I wonder if the Khambatta’s knew what they had in store when they hosted one of the umpteen farewell’s to Astrid & Melvyn !! The magic all began when we got to know that Melvyn was going to be there and so all of us hit Alabang at the Khambatta residence with a bang.. Let me mention that Susan and Marc set the ambience for the ‘magical’ evening with complete finesse..complete with candles which only enhanced the beauty of their beautiful home with the most beautiful pictures,statues,paintings and even icons Of Our Lord and The Blessed Mother. There was fruit punch and many other snacks which did the rounds but special mention must be made of Marc’s Sushi which was as professional as sushi can get.. The magic continued to flow around as one and all chatted about everything from starting a sorpotel business in Manila to the state of Iraq and the U.S…well hope some magic happens there and all sorts itself out.. We were unaware as to where Susan was the entire evening..But when it was time for dinner we figured out just wht she had been up to..She waved her Magic wand and lo and behold there was no less than about 12 dishes of home cooked exotic ARABIC food all prepared painstakingly by Susan herslf..Kebabs of all the meats,hummus,pita ,khichdi,think Arabic and it was all there..Wonder if Susan anticipated the magical evening that was to come..We truly had a feast..and after a while lost count of the number of helpings we took..Susan being the loving and affectionate person that she is went around personally with piping hot barbequed prawns…Am sure by now u too are getting into the magical mood.. Well,it had only just begun..And soon Marc the musical wizard waved his wand too…also known as Magic Sing..No kidding,this really is the name of a Karaoke mike…A gender based competition was held to check which gender ‘karaoked’ better..!!Well,no surprises but it ended in a draw only for the sake of peace and goodwill in every home..Special mention however must be made of Colin the karaoke King of the evening,who consistently rendered The Beatles,Sinatra etc with true style..Even the t.v proclaimed GOOD JOB..!! Well,dessert was in a world of its own..Complete with a personalized cake for Astrid and Melvyn,Kheer,A Cheese Platter..just name it and it was right before your eyes..Susan you really outdid yourself..Simple,humble blokes like us don’t deserve such MAGICAL treatment..Thanks a Million.. How can a magical evening be complete without Aladdin ? Well,he came as a much awaited surprise..Aladdin in the form of Ajoy,Peter and Sylvie’s son was truly the spectacle of the evening with his lamp,or his trumpet..Behind that quiet,shy guy lies a whirlpool of musical talent which he displayed so well on the trumpet,rendering one song better than the next..Everything from Raindrops keep falling on My head,to the oh so romantic Feelings and a superb jazz version of Summertime,Sugar were all breathtaking as much as it left him breathless !! Way to go Ajoy..it feels so good to see the teens display their musical prowess..Robert Jr,Ajoy,keep it going..we would like to have much more of your performances than our own song and dance..And we know fully well that the other teens all have surprises up their sleeves too..Come on guys we’re waiting..And we do listen to Rock n roll…Mary admitted later that her new crush is the newly voted Rockstar-Lucas..see we’re into Rock as well.. Marc n Susan our magicians for the evening you’ll were truly great and exceptional hosts..Thanks ever so much for a magical fun filled and ‘homely’ evening.. LET THE MAGIC CONTINUE……………….

DHOOM DHAMAKA AT THE DAVIS RESIDENCE..(translated as ROCK N ROLL AT THE DAVIS RESIDENCE)

After a meaningful Independence Day celebration At Don Bosco’s we loosened our hair and tightened our instrument strings and voices at Colin & Marie’s home..Colin and Marie thoughtfully invited the whole gang to say a fond farewell to Melvyn & Astrid. Marie true to her artistic style set the ambience in her lovely home with candle lights all around , even by the poolside..The entire evening shaped up in its own glamour and had its own ‘episodes’..... The STARTER episode-the intial warm up chit chat while some delicious hummous ad veggie sticks did the rounds..then of course an outburst of starters followed complete from spring rolls to chicken kebabs and as we are well aware the start to a great evening always begins with the STARTers.. The Instrumentalists Episode-Our extremely talented and professional musiciansBob,Fr.Edison and Bob Jr got out their instruments warmed up their instruments with Blue Moon the ambience now sparkled with music..Of course with these great musicians no one can keep themselves too far away from joining in and thus followed.. The Main Musical Episode with power packed musical enthrallment with the entire group lending and exercising their vocal cords..All kinds of songs did the rounds complete from Pop to Blues..Best described as The Musical Hour..!and while some gave their vocal cords a break a small group of others continued with the oldie hits.. Peth Pooja Episode was as some Indians call it –peth (read payt)pooja..or stomach worship..!and Marie saw to it that our stomachs got no less than thorough worship with exotic ethnic ethereal dishes ranging from tongue tingling tandoori chicken to Bombay duck chilly fry,our gangs everlasting favourite-sorpotel and a HUGE spread of vegetarian dishes from paneer to uttapas..After all that worship,was another buffet..the dessert buffet with everything from buko salad to a variety of cakes,brownies,ice creams etc..Marie really can give the 5 stars a run for their money with such spreads.. The Medley Episode-Well,the musical liqueur to the evening after the stomach worship came when Savio mysteriously got out his own guitar and entertained us all with one medley after another complete from goan mandos(folklore) to the east Indian masala..Of course,the exclusive feature of this episode was a perfect and crisp melodious duet from Savio & Beverly.At the rate and volume at which we were singing am sure dasma ave too joined in with the dhoom dhamaka..! The evening ended with an Invite from Marc & Susan as a continuation of the farewell to Astrid & Melvyn..Astrid at the rate ur going I think ur giving GMA serious competition..!Colin & Marie you’ll are the most gracious hosts ever..We felt so comfortable and relaxed at your lovely home..Its only coz of your gracious hospitality and love that 26th Aug was an evening of true DHOOM DHAMAKA.. (Note:special thanks to Colin & Marie for the superb photos!)