Back to Manila...

We are now back to Manila at my sister's place with a cold and hope to recover soon. Our visit to Kidapawan City for almost three weeks was great. Enna-Marie had a good time with her cousins ate Tabriz and ate Lofty (doing crafts together, playing in the garden and watching the turtle crawl, going to the market, assisting lola while cooking, watching children's programme, snacking and having meals together, fetching cousins from school, etc.), and of course with lolo Max, lola Ping, tita Tatutz and tito Mhon. You can see from the photos below how happy she was spending time with her loved ones in this part of the world.

Hello Lena, bye Vanysha

We recently welcomed Lena from Chile to the staff in the Department of Statistics and said goodbye to Vanysha who returned to Mauritius. To welcome the one and say goodbye to the other we went to Bahji followed by a nice dinner in the Penguin restaurant in Nahariyya. Martijn and May, as well as Sorush, also joined us. Here are a few pictures (thanks Peyman)...

Howard, Maarten, Vanysha, Peyman and Riyad... the 'old' Department...
Martijn, May and ???
In the Bahji Visitors Centre, with Lena
The burgers at the penguin restaurant were not bad at all...
Menchie made a beautiful card for Vanysha with pictures of her stay in the Holy Land...

Visiting family in Kidapawan...

Enna-Marie and I are now in Kidapawan City in the Southern part of the country called Mindanao. Kidapawan is a capital city of Cotabato. It is a favorite tourist destination because of the majestic Mt. Apo, the country's highest peak. My parents moved here from Manila in 1993, they are staying in the Baha'i Training Institute building. The last time I visited my family here was in 2001, although we were together in Manila in December 2006 when Enna-Marie was one year old. I am hoping that Maarten too could visit this place in the future.

my two brothers Ramon & Maxwell, Ramon was not able to join us at the wedding









with Ramon's daughter Lofty & Valerie

Enna-Marie with Tabriz (sister of Lofty)

EM with cousins ate Tabriz & ate Lofty (ate means older sister)

dinner time with the family

EM with tito Maxwell & tita Valerie











exploring with tito Maxwell

my dad picking some santol fruits from the tree in the Training Institute where my parents live


these are the santols he picked up

the cousins in the garden located at the back of the Institute building

Photos after the wedding...

singing time with my cousins using "magic sing", very famous in the Phils.

Enna-Marie with cousin Jatlin while having a nice swing ride







group pic at the dinner at Valerie's family the night of the wedding

delicious roasted pork lechon we ate at that dinner

with Dante Pollescas & family, relatives from Davao who were not able to come to the wedding but visited us in Novaliches

Some more pics of the wedding...

with the Local Assembly of Caloocan City









Enna-Marie smiling















watching the video of Maarten giving his message for Val & Maxwell










EM soo happy to see daddy on the video

mom giving her message to the new couple

EM taking a break playing with her cousins

it's wedding cake eating time

the happy couple giving their message to everyone

my sister Maricel & my brother-in-law Roland

siblings of the bride and groom

with my sis, cousins Marites & Marissa & the wedding solemnizer Kuya Altair

me & my sister

with my cousins & the bride & groom