Ruby Bayan, our ninang

Our principal sponsors at the wedding are awesome, wonderful people, who happen to be very good friends and close relatives of ours and our parents. But one truly awesome ninang is Ruby Bayan, mom of my best friend and our best man Dante Gagelonia.

Tita Ruby is based in Florida, and is a woman of many trades: she writes, does Web design, creates gorgeous jewelry, does her own carpentry and gardening, and is often sound engineer for her husband, Mike Llamas aka DJ Stoney Burke.

When we asked her to be ninang, Tita Ruby jumped onto the Star Wars bandwagon without hesitation. She scoured the Web for a costume she could wear to the wedding, and not only did she indeed wear a costume, but she made it herself too! And she modified a costume that was purchased for her husband. Check out her costume construction progress on Multiply.

Bridesmaid jewelry

In addition to the awesomeness of her costume, she also gave us a wonderful wedding gift: bridal jewelry for me, and jewelry sets for my bridesmaids and main and matron of honor! We gave these sets to the bridal entourage on the day of the wedding, and they all shrieked like teenage girls when they saw the beautiful, beautiful things. Check out the jewelry and the process of making them on Tita Ruby’s blog.

Tita Ruby, thank you for being an awesome ninang!

So anyway, since moving back to the Philippines in 1996, my brother and I have been discovering Filipino foods and awakening in our palate a love for the cuisine of our homeland. All sorts of pancit, kakanin, inihaw, seafood, seaweed: you name it, we’ll try it. The results are not always spectacular, but we’re always willing to stuff new things in our mouths!

It’s said that Kapampangans cook so well because they eat so well. Being the daughter of a Kapampangan who loved to cook, I guess I took up the spatula and the ladle as well. I started cooking when I moved to Yale in 2004, and I haven’t stopped since.

Cooking Filipino foods—especially the ones my brother and I love to eat—has become something of a mini-quest of mine. I love nilaga and tinola, and those are some of the things I tried learning to cook. Despite protestations from Paul regarding the necessity of saging na saba in nilagang baka, I’ve heard many approving sighs and happy moans from masticating mouths when it comes to my cooking.

So one day I tried caldereta, and it wasn’t half-bad!

The problem now is not how to cook caldereta, but how to cook just enough of it. I seem unable to cook for two, having gotten used to cooking larger batches of food for the transients and refugees that Yale always housed. So here’s my recipe for caldereta! Ingredients listed should be good enough to serve 2 people.

• ¼ kilo beef
• 2 bell peppers – red and/or green, chopped in squares
• 1 small carrot – peeled and chopped
• 1 piece chorizo – chopped and sautéed in olive oil with chopped garlic and onions till brown
• green olives – optional, they add a salty flavor
• 1 small can liver spread – use only half, otherwise the sauce will be too thick
• 3-5 medium sized potatoes – or you can use 1/4 kilo baby potatoes so you don’t need to chop
• 1 pack tomato sauce

Procedure:
1. Put beef in pot, fill with just enough water to cover meat. Boil over medium heat to tenderize. Once water is boiling, reduce heat. If you want to reduce fat, throw out water after boiling and add fresh water, then boil again. You’ll know the beef is tender enough when you can cut it easily with a spoon and a fork.

2. Once beef is ready, add potatoes and carrots to broth. Let it simmer till potatoes and carrots are tender.

3. Add tomato sauce, chorizo (with garlic and onions) and liver spread. Season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer, stir occasionally.

4. Once flavor is to your liking, add the olives. You can add the peppers just before serving if you want them crunchy, or let them simmer if you want them soft.

Tita Ruby, Dante's mom, was our ninang. She made the costumes that she and Mike are wearing.

May your helmets embolden you
to explore worlds beyond your wildest dreams
while your boots keep you firmly on the ground.
May your armors flaunt your battle scars
as the Force remains strong
within you and among your younglings.
Always.

MERALCO, why oh why?

Nearly two months of wedded bliss, and everything’s fine. New house, new life, and many other new things, most of which use power. We’re people of many gadgets–who isn’t nowadays? My work requires me to be online almost all day, and Oneal and I have many interests online. In fact, we rely on the Internet for so many things: news, photos, communication with friends and family, even much of our charity work and 501st activity happens online. So you can understand the need for the multiple laptops, the phones, and the requisite power consumption.

Still, that’s not unusual. Neither are the aircon units (only used at night, but if during the day, only when we’re both home), the washing machine (chosen because it’s energy and water efficient), the lightbulbs (all CFL, mind you), the electric fans, and the kitchen appliances. So when we got our first electric bill in March, it was P2,082.40, and that seemed reasonable. After all, there’s two of us, and a three-bedroom townhouse.

Then just a few days ago, we got our new bill: P7,062.70

Granted, the first bill had been for 6 February to 6 March. Our lease on the townhouse started late January, and we moved in only after the wedding, so for about half of that billing period, we weren’t actually living here. But we were here at least every other day, and many of the days were spent installing various fixtures (aircon, water heater) and fixing the electrical wiring here and there. And when we moved in, we were pretty extravagant with the aircon use.

We expected a high electricity bill, but the P5,000 increase was preposterous! When we got the bill, my husband and I were looking over it, scrutinizing each charge, each item, each detail. Sure, our consumption had gone up from 201 kwh in February to 533 kwh in March. But it was ridiculous! We were thinking about power-saving strategies, like turning off the light in the hallway at night; getting those adapters with switches to make sure there’s no phantom power drain; reducing the use of the turbo roaster and the electric grill and the toaster; using the timer more religiously when we use the aircon; and reducing the usage of our secondary computers.

Then Oneal pointed out the distribution charge.

What was a charge of only P0.9953/kwh in February became P2.1998/kwh in March. What was a charge of only P200.06 in February became P1,172.49 in March. The generation charge also increased from 11.19% to 11.42%.

This is preposterous. Even when we were living in Cubao, where the house had 4 occupants and we had a total of 7 computers (1 desktop and 6 laptops/netbooks) and 2 aircons, our bill didn’t spike that high.

I hope Meralco realizes this atrocity isn’t going unnoticed, and that paying customers won’t take this lying down. Price hikes are understandable, but keep them reasonable! This is ridiculous! Join the protest on Facebook.

Me and Oneal with my family - rej

This is a draft of the speech given by Marian Martin Layug, mother of the bride.

–

This day is a day full of gratitude. I thank the good Lord for bringing together Rej and Oneal and binding them in the holy bonds of matrimony. I thank you all for being here to witness this blessed event. You are here because every single one of you is either a family or close friend. You are here because you know and love them both. Your presence here is a blessing too.

Because Rej’s father, Fer, has passed on, I will speak for both of us. (minute of silence?). I thank our daughter Rej, whom we call Genine or Be, for being such a joy and a treasure from the day she was born to us. Speaking as a mother, in the midst of this cloud of happiness lies a twinge of pain. Our children are with us for only a brief moment in our lives. Today, we the parents of Oneal and Rej realize that they no longer to belong to us, because now they belong to each other.

My husband and I always knew that someday we would have to let our precious daughter go. On Rej’s bulletin board at home, is a birthday card that her dad sent her in 2001 when Rej turned 20. He wrote, “You are now a young lady but you are still my Be and you will always be for the rest of my life. All I want is for you to be happy.” Today, I believe that Fer’s wish has come true. Rej is truly happy now that Oneal and she are man and wife.

I thank Oneal for promising to be her companion in life from this day onward. I also thank my new balaes, Baby and Boy Rosero, for raising a fine son like Oneal whom they can be proud of.

Parents are like the character actors. Once we parents have delivered our piece, we leave the stage to our children. The last time we parents were the stars was in November 2008 when Oneal and Rej told us that they had decided to get married. I shall never forget something that Boy, Oneal’s father, said on that night. He said, “We waited 36 years to have a daughter.”

To me as a mother, it was very sweet to know that Oneal’s parents accept Rej, not just as a daughter-in-law, but as a daughter. I know that Rej is marrying a good man and into a good family. I also know that Rej’s Dad accepted Oneal as the man whom Rej loves. Before Fer passed away, he asked Oneal to take care of his daughter, of his Be, and I believe he is very happy that Oneal is fulfilling that promise today.

To me, that Rej and Oneal found each other is in itself a miracle. Sometimes I look at them and I say WHAT IF? What if we had never returned to the Philipines and remained an OFW family forever. What if Rej and Oneal had never been such keen Star Wars fans and never joined the New Worlds Alliance? But Thank Goodness their destiny was written in the stars, or more specifically, in the Star Wars, and they did find each other. That is a miracle.

This wedding is a demonstration of the miracle of love, of the love between Rej and Oneal. The miracle of love is that it can bring together two such different people and make them one. We are touched and awed by this miracle. It is awesome, it is divine, it is breathtaking. And we who love them the most pray that the love between Rej and Oneal will grow ever deeper and ever stronger through the years.

The groom and his parents

This is a draft of the speech given by Leonor Tripon Rosero, mother of the groom.

—

First, I want to start off by saying best wishes and congratulations to Rej & Oneal! I know that you both have been planning for the past year to have this day be everything that you have both been dreaming of, and everything is just beautiful! I feel honored to have witnessed and enjoy watching your relationship blossom into marriage that you will cherish for the remainder of your lives together.

Today is, of course, a celebration, but not just of the love that has united Rej and Oneal in holy matrimony, but also of the families that have created, moulded and influenced the lives of these two special people.

I’d like to welcome everyone, especially Rej’s family, Marian, Czar and Boks. It has been really good to meet them and become family-in-laws and friends. What we find gratifying, is that Rej’s family feel the same about Oneal. They have taken him to their hearts, and I believe that he is now their son, in fact, as well as in law! (for those who don’t know, Marian had been my speech writer when I was still in PRC, so we have been working w/ each other for the past 4 years)
Today, I am proud to be the mother of the man I see here, starting a family of his own and setting out on a great adventure with his beautiful wife, Rej.

Now it is customary that on these occasions we offer the happy couple some wordly advice on marriage.

First of all some thoughts for both of you:

• Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.
• A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
• Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate
• Treat each other like you would your cats: Make a fuss of each other, Feed each other well, Let each other off the lead, now and then
• Marriage is very much like driving along a road, yes…. a road
• It can be nice and smooth
• Sometimes it can be slippery
• There can be obstacles in the way, and
• You can go round in circles
• Conditions are sometimes bumpy and you can’t see through the mist
• But think, before you cross the line, be aware of all the signs

And most important of all… GIVE WAY

Some thoughts for Rej:

• If you want something from Oneal , just ask for it. Dont forget he’s a man and hints don’t work.
• When you’re wrong, say I’m sorry. When you’re right, say nothing
• It has been a pleasure getting to know you over these last few years and I know that Oneal knows how lucky he is to have you.
• We are thrilled to have a daughter into our family and we are so happy to have the rest of your wonderful family here to celebrate with us this truly joyous day!

Some thoughts for Oneal:

• Women are made to be loved, not understood.
• Nothing makes a good wife like a good husband
• Finally, never go to bed in the middle of an argument.
• Be a man and stay up and fight.
• You’ve lost anyway so you might as well get it over with.

Anyway Rej and Oneal, I just wanted to say how happy we all are for you.

Most of all, we all wish both of you all the very best……………

A long……

A happy…..

A healthy…….

And a loving life together…..

And that together……

You come to realize all your shared dreams, desires and plans.

And now, I would like to return to old Winston Churchill for some serious advice for you both:

“Never, Never, Never give up…… On loving each other……. And on working together to make your marriage last….. And on achieving everything that you both want and deserve.

Finally, there is a saying, which goes something like ‘Happy marriages begin, when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry,’ and I believe there’s a great deal of truth in that.

So, Rej and Oneal, may your marriage be a truly happy one, – and may you both have a long and wonderful life together. I wish you fun and excitement for today….hopes and dreams for tomorrow….and love and happiness forever.
Actually, all I can really say is that Dad, me and Ron are extremely happy to see the two of you finally married and I think I can speak on behalf of Dad in saying that we can’t wait to be a LOLO and LOLA, many times over if possible puro twins.

Before I forget, we would also like to offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to those who have worked so hard and long to help put this day together, particularly Rej and Oneal’s friends, whose contribution really has been invaluable. This is a day that Rej and Oneal will surely cherish for the remainder of their married lives together.

Finally, I want to thank also all of you for coming especially those who came all the way from California, my sister, Nene, our friend, Noyet, the two Ninangs, Divinia from New York and Ruby, from Florida for witnessing Rej and Oneal celebrate this very special day of their lives!

Thank you very much

Ceremony
Pictorials
Reception
Cake and Cupcakes

I’m so excited that my nerves are in a frenzy. This past week we’ve been pretty relaxed, but now I’m listening to my bridal march song,  and I’m so psyched that just listening to the song brings tears to my eyes. (Check out my epiphany about it from months ago.) Ted of Manila String Machine says they’ve been rehearsing the music they requested, and I can’t wait to hear their renditions of the Star Wars themes we love so much.

In other news, we want our guests to know that we’ll be setting up a wifi router at the reception. We have friends and relatives who won’t be able to make it to the wedding, for various reasons: work, travel, etc. Also, as much as we’d like to, we really can’t invite all our friends. But we’d like them to still be part of the wedding, even if only through virtual means.

So we’d like to ask those of you with wifi-capable mobile/smart phones to post live updates during the wedding. I’m not sure if the router will be on during the ceremony (I doubt it), but it definitely will be during the reception! If you can post photos through your phones, even better! Post them on Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, even Plurk! This is the only way we can share our wedding with the rest of the world, as it happens.

Ron will be in charge of the wifi connection, so all guests who wish to connect to the Intarwebs can ask him for the password and other connection details during the wedding. Ron will also try to broadcast the wedding live via video streaming; if you know how to do this, input would be welcome! Send suggestions and questions to rej (dot) oneal (dot) 2010 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Yeah, yeah, we’re really geeks, we want to broadcast our wedding online. But hey, we’re not as bad as the couple that was Tweeting DURING THEIR OWN WEDDING CEREMONY. That was ridiculous.