New Year 2012 Family Celebration at Eastwood

The New Year’s Eve bash at Eastwood was another memorable opportunity for the Grana family along with the rest of the Ruales brood and their respective families to bid goodbye to year 2011 and welcome the start of 2012 .It was not only an occasion of thanksgiving but also a time to spend special bonding moments together with each other - something that makes us united, stronger and tightly knit to help us survive life’s challenges.Every family gathering is beyond laughter and pleasure-it always provide the venue whereby we go through heartrending relationships that would last forever and keep us rising above the contradictions of life. We call it family ties. It is deep - rooted that we can’t wait to bond some more.

We attended the New Year’s eve Eucharistic Mass at the Holy Family Church to thank God for all His favors in the past year and to implore His blessings for the new one.Then we proceeded straight to Choi Palace situated on the 3rd floor of the Eastwood Mall to enjoy each other's company while trying to satisfy our cravings for chinese cuisine ( compulsion or choice … food enthusiasts or fanatics ? I really don’t know . From there we had a the spectacular view of the festive Filipino version of the New Year countdown in Times Square in New York.

The Eastwood Style of New Year’s countdown : When the electonic clock struck twelve ,the pyrotechnics exploded and confetti rained down on Eastwood Mall Open Park as everyone waved their celebration hats and blasted and played their peacock and tooting horns and other noise makers . Certainly, it was and dt Manila’s answer to New York’s Times Square Countdown- but instead of the traditional ball dropping in a Times Square NY setting , a lighted star slowly dropped from the upper most portion of a building located right at the back of the concert stage as the last 60 seconds countdown commenced . Few hours prior to the countdown we were primed in for the big New Year’s Eve Star drop with live performance and music by Gary Valenciano, Billy Crawford ,The Dawn and others.

The 15- minute pyrotechnic display has brilliantly illuminated the sky above the Eastwood Mall Open Park. Bursts of custom-mixed colors glittered in the night sky which I would guess were computer-controlled and synchronized with the other special effects set up on the roof-top of a nearby building. The crowd went wild and excited and another year was ushered in.

Amid the revelry, our hearts went for the victims of tropical storm Sendong that left hundreds dead in Northern Mindanao. We contiued to pray for all those who were affected by the calamity and pledged to support the rehabilitation projects that will give them hope to get back on their feet.

A blessed and hopeful New Year 2012 to all !

Family Christmas 2011

Pre-Christmas Getaway at Club Punta Fuego

On December 6, my hubby Terence and I went off to Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas, for an overnight junket. Terence just came back from a month-long ( job related ) trip to New Delhi, India and we thought this was a perfect occasion to go on a pre-Christmas weekday getaway to make up for the lost time….million thanks to our big-hearted, true -blue friends R & E who made it happened.

Really, Club Punta Fuego is too good a destination for R & R. We stayed at the Casita Seaview which was specifically booked for us. The furnished room was simply spacious and dainty. It opens out onto a balcony with table and lounge chairs set that provides a panorama of the South China Sea and awe-inspiring view of the sunset and landscape of the Punta Fuego Peninsula.. And wow ! it has an impressive T & B that features an all-mirrored sliding wall ( floor to the ceiling) on one side and the other side opens into a mini pebble garden. Of course, we made sure that the wall outside is high enough to give us peace of mind that no one would dare climb it and look pryingly to see us in a state of glory ! The intrinsic beauty of the surrounding scenery ; the magnificent sunset , the beach and infinity- edged pool ambience have taken our breath away. How we wish we could stay a little longer. 

Here are some selectel pictures out of loads of shots taken using Nikon SLR D60 and Nikon CoolPix Digital Cameras.

Glimpse of Fabulous Las Vegas

The 5 1/2 hour road trip from LA to Las Vegas was exciting. We drove off to the Entertainment Capital of the World “ with my sister and my very good friend Joy T as our daring and gutsy driver ! Truly, Vegas is a city in the middle of a desert that depicts pizazz and extravagance. As we made the entrance into the city aboard Joy's brand-new white Toyota Corolla Sedan, we caught site of an awesome cityscape and dramatic architecture. As we cruised the stretch of Las Vegas Blvd at night, I could only marvel the frenzied neon mirage everywhere. Las Vegas Blvd which is approximately 6 km. long stretch ( better known as The Strip ) is where all the action is. Walking on foot along The Strip to explore hotels and casinos was quite overwhelming.
And I must admit the stroll might be fascinating yet a bit exhausting for one nearing his/her senior years... a single night stroll is not ample to go through all the major hotels on The Strip to watch and appreciate the crowd drawing night spectacles .Undoubtedly, the night shows , the thousand-watt blinking neon lights lining the huge signages and billboards, swarm of tourists and holidaymakers including the food can stimulate some kind of electricity in the air . Also, the attractions put up by these establishments and all the night life activities are really outstanding and will never fail to amaze one who seeks fleeting pleasures.
 
The trip was not only  fabulous as I got to meet up with long lost high school classmates who were gracious to accommodate me and company into their charming homes and invest time,energy ,utilities and other costs to make our Vegas visit truly special.