My Filipino family

Today I spent some Q.T. with my Filipino Family. I started out the day with bowling at the country club with Jasmine, Regi, Kobe, and Gelo. We Bowled two games, which was enough to remind me how much I suck at bowling, then we played ping-pong. After, we got home Regi and jazz hosted a dance party with Kobe and Gelo where cousin Enzo taught them to "pop and lock" Usher and MJ style. While they did that, I had some down time and booked a plane ticket for the third leg of my trip. I will be flying from Bali to Kuala Lumpar June 25th. I would have preferred not to book until I got a feel for Indonesia, but apparently an onward ticket booking is required for visa on arrival. Speaking of Bali I cannot wait to get some sunshine- this rain and wind is getting old fast!!

In the evening we headed across the compound to Regi's Tito's (uncle) birthday/house-warming party. Tito had just finished building a beautiful home with super high ceilings, beautiful woodwork, an indoor water feature goldfish pond, loft, and personal waterfall built into a staircase leading outside.... Amazing. He had set up tables with white covered chairs and served a dinner with noodles- a custom at every birthday dinner... It's very rude not to eat them- potato and beat salad, peanut crusted fish, black pepper chicken and two whole pigs.... And I mean WHOLE pigs. The heads were decorativly placed in the middle of the serving trays and one piggy still had his feet attached. Apparently the pig innards are a crowd pleaser here too- so when Regi's cousins asked if I would like to try tried them, I said "oh yes I already did. It was delicious, but I'm full now thanks..." I realize that it's important to be experimental with food when traveling and appreciate the culture that coinscides, but after having a colonoscopy once in my life and seeing my innards on the full colour screen the surgeon was using, I am not ok with eating another animal's junk.

After dinner came the drinks, poker, drinks, dancing, and drrrinkshhhhh... Everyone was having a blast and by midnight I was one of the family. Part of the honour that comes with being the only white girl at a Filipino party is being introduced to the local celebrities. First I met a local artist who had long grey hair he wore in a ponytail. I forget his name at the moment, but he was a hoot. He designed the stained glass feature in the house and wanted to know about all my Canadian hobbies. We got to talking and I mentioned that I tap danced as a child.... Well- after about 20 minutes of him encouraging me to do a tap dance for the party in my flip-flops, and me regretfully declining, he decided it was imperative I meet a Filipino actor who was in attendance because he had appeared on broadway, so clearly he could assist me with my tap dancing..... Basically I would describe "broadway" as the Filipino Robert Goulet. Need I say more??!! 50 years old, thick brown hair, moustache (obviously), waxed chest with half unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, and a leather jacket. Awesome. This experience brought out the paparatzi in me and I spent the next half hour casually snapping photos of myself and other party goers with Filipino Goulet in the background.

After that I sat down with Tito and the Nevada cousins and listened to them Swap family stories and talk about future travel plans. Now it's 3:30am and the party is still going strong. I had to make a break for it while the going was good cause I get the feeling they're going to be the ones keeping the rooster awake tonight!!! (karmas a bitch, eh rooster!). Anyway, I'm super bagged and i have to rest up for it last full day in Baguio tomorrow. Nighty night!!