DAY TRIP: MONTEREY




We found ourselves back in Monterey this week.

Has it really been a year since we were last there? Funny, but I don't feel a year older (nor wiser, if you wish to be all technical about it). Yet there it is in my archives: THREE TIMES A MONKEY, an account of my thirty-sixth birthday getaway in Steinbeck country.

No wonder things felt oddly familiar. The temperature was the same, the weather was the same, even my sweater was the same. We also went to the same places last year (the beach and Fisherman's Wharf), although this time, we made sure to hit Cannery Row as well.

This was my sister Haya's first time in Monterey. At the top of our list of places to visit was the MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM, which I found quite impressive the first time I went there. After buying tickets, our hungry party decided to check out the Portola Cafe and Grill first. Everyone was looking forward to having Monterey's famous clam chowder served piping hot in sourdough bowls.

(Well...not exactly everyone. Reanna set her sights on a bigger target: the giant chocolate chip cookie Mommy bought for dessert!)




Soon everyone was done eating. We all headed out to the Observation Deck, where Lance and his Lola entertained themselves watching cormorants dive for fish. Troy, on the other hand, counted starfish while watching the slow progress of a crab in the water while Reanna busied herself with a ladybug Daddy caught for her.




And then we were hit by a collective epiphany: while we were busy enjoying the mild weather and the lovely view, inside they were counting down to closing time. We hurried in and took in the spectacular displays with an eye on the clock.

Lance and Troy couldn't get enough of the giant fish tanks. They squealed with delight at the antics of the furry sea otters. Indeed, it was quite difficult to pull them away from the playful creatures. Next we went to the underwater kelp forest display, housed in a giant three-story tank. And then we made our way to the Outer Bay wing for the grand finale: the Sharks: Myth and Mystery exhibit, which we knew the boys would find fascinating.



Sure enough, Lance and Troy found plenty to do at the exhibit. They played in a dugout canoe, donned shark ceremonial masks, and even got to hold a real shark in the touch pool. Mommy got to feel the shark's rough skin too, a sharp contrast to the smooth, almost jelly-like texture of the stingray, which I also got to hold.



Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much after the Shark Exhibit. We just had enough time to do a cursory walk-through around the Outer Bay wing when six o'clock chimed in and the Aquarium was closed. We quickly exited the premises, exploring Cannery Row's other sights including Bubba Gump's Shrimp Factory and Restaurant, where everyone took turns donning Forrest Gump's shoes on the famous bus stop bench. (See the box of chocolates?)



I also wanted to take the kids to the beach, but I was reluctant to drag everyone out of town and into the freeway again. Luckily, I remembered Lover's Point Park in nearby Pacific Grove, which had a perfect little stretch of beach where the kids could play while it was still light outside.



Lance and Troy had fun trying to make the waves run after them. When they got tired, they played in the sand while the grownups took in the spectacular view.



Soon everyone was hungry so we all headed to Fisherman's Wharf, where we had dinner at Rappa's at the end of the pier, the same place we went to for my birthday dinner last year. This time, it was my Mom's turn to be feted. After dinner, my husband surprised her with a slice of Death by Chocolate with a candle stuck in it. We weren't able to celebrate her birthday with her last April 14, so we wanted to make it up to her.



All too soon, it seemed, dinner was over and we had to head home. We were sad to see our old haunt, the Carousel Candy Factory, closed for the night. We usually head over there to buy sweets after dinner. Instead, we went to The Pirate's Cove (the last open store), where I got my requisite souvenir resin magnets while the boys chose a pink octopus and a red crab from the displays. They also bugged their Daddy for quarters so they could ride the motorized boat in front of the store. Reanna hitched a ride on that one too.



And then we all piled up into Vanna the minivan, still excited and exhiliarated, but exhausted at the same time. Within minutes, everyone in the rear section was snoring.

It was a sonorous end to an enchanting day.


(PLUGGING: Visit my BRAG BOOK for more pictures of our day trip to Monterey, including Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and Lover's Point in Pacific Grove, CA. Also, "Day 5: Redemption", the latest installment in my "ROYAL HOLIDAY" series at 87 GENTLE STREET.)

ON DEDICATION




Sunday dawned bright and beautiful.

It was the perfect beginning to the day my daughter would be formally dedicated to the Lord.

The venue was at St. John's Chapel of the Valley, a quaint little church right in the heart of Modesto. Our guests started arriving before the scheduled time of 2:00 PM. We took pictures to while away the time while waiting for our pastor, who was coming straight from Sunday service at the Holiday Inn in Newark, CA. As always, we discovered some mysterious orbs posing with some of the guests. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those was my very own DADDY.



Reanna was beautiful in her christening dress, a present from my Tita Dina in the Philippines. The dress was so preciously done, we took it to someone who made wedding gowns just to be altered. I'll never forget the look on Reanna's face when her Daddy walked in during the fitting. She was standing perfectly still while her dress was being pinned around her. Lorenzo later told me the sight of his innocent baby daughter wearing her christening dress hit him like nothing else had ever done before.

"You're going to make me cry, Reanna," my husband told my daughter. It was a precious moment indelibly etched in my mind. I will look back at this memory the day I see my daughter fit her bridal gown for the first time. When that time comes, I will be the one with tears in my eyes.




Pastor Benjie Lagasca was uncharacteristically late. He is usually the first one to arrive in all our past functions. This was the same pastor who married us, blessed our new home and performed the baby dedication ceremonies for Lance and Troy. When three o'clock came and he still wasn't there, we called the pastor of St. John's to explain the situation to him. We knew there was a youth group meeting scheduled at 6:00 PM and they would be coming to get the place ready at around 4:00.

Pastor Jim Hill was nice enough to offer to do the ceremony. He even said he would let Pastor Benjie finish the dedication if he showed up after we started, which was quite a relief. We couldn't wait much longer. We were quickly losing time. Aside from the youth group meeting, we also had to make it to our reception venue at the allotted time of 4:00 PM. We decided to let Pastor Jim perform the ceremony.

And so Reanna, along with her parents, siblings, grandmother and godparents, all went up to the altar with Pastor Jim while the other guests gathered around the front pews to witness the event. Sure enough, a few minutes into the ceremony, Pastor Benjie walked into the chapel all flustered and embarrassed. He had gotten terribly lost along the way and found himself heading back towards the Bay Area. Pastor Jim graciously deferred his position, and a smooth transition was made with Pastor Benjie finishing the process.

I have always liked the way pastor Benjie performs his beby dedications. A former English teacher, he infuses a lot of symbolism in his ceremony. In our case, it was candles for the godfathers and roses for the rest of the party: white for the parents, yellow for the grandparents and red for the godmothers. Lance and Troy also held pink roses as we insisted on including the siblings in front as well.




Pastor Benjie proceeded to pray over our little girl, dedicating her to the Lord at this tender young age, and asking that in time, she, too, will choose to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, with the guidance and support of her parents, grandparents and godparents. Upon viewing the pictures later, I couldn't help but notice another prominent orb in our family picture, along with a smaller orb beside it. This time, I am convinced this is definitely my DADDY taking part in the ceremony, along with his Mom, my Lola Luz, or perhaps my Mom's Dad, LOLO MANING.



And so we welcomed our baby daughter, Reanna Loren Sereno, into the Christian world, with the help of TWO pastors, no less.



What could be more special than that?



AND CELEBRATION




The ceremony was finally over and everyone was hungry.

After all, many of the guests had been waiting for over two hours already. Within minutes, a long line of cars was making its way to De China Buffet, our favorite buffet restaurant in Modesto. De China has an extensive spread which offers a lot more than the usual Chinese fare. Aside from the Chinese food station, they have a salad bar, two kinds of soup, sushi, dimsum, an appetizer and finger food bar, a seafood section, a dessert bar and all the fresh oysters and crab legs you can eat. It's like a mini version of Todai at less than half the price.

Wendy, the owner, was nice enough to host our party for over two and a half hours, considering it was Sunday, her busiest day of business. Most buffet restaurants limit their parties to one and a half hours at most. We were in a glassed-off section of the restaurant, so we were able to eat and mingle among ourselves while savoring the delicious food.




Everybody settled down to enjoy the food and company. Time flew quickly without our noticing it, and soon it was almost 6:30 PM. Our party made preparations to leave after the souvenirs were handed out and a final round of pictures. Most of the family proceeded to my sister-in-law, Selina's house, where we finally got to slice and savor Reanna's tres leches cake after the Buffet food had settled somewhat.



Reanna's cake topper and souvenirs were specially handmade by Troy's Ninang Rona. Rona, like Pastor Benjie, has played a role in our family's special moments by hand-making souvenirs for memorable occasions like our wedding and Troy's dedication. It was another nod to tradition to have her special touch and creativity grace this event as well.




Our wonderful day had come to a close. We loved the fact that we were able to share such a meaningful moment with our family and friends. In the end, it was the cake's simple message which encompassed what this very special day was all about. It took just four little words written in pink to say it all:

God Bless you, Reanna.


(PLUGGING: Visit my BRAG BOOK for more Dedication and Reception pictures. Also, "Day 5: Redemption", the latest installment in my "ROYAL HOLIDAY" series at 87 GENTLE STREET.)