As we grow older, I notice it’s harder to keep in touch with friends and relatives. We have more concerns in our lives, especially if we have children, and we feel that there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. But I always say, “kung gusto pwede at gagawan ng paraan, kung ayaw maraming problema.”
Just like meeting up with our friend L. He was here for his father’s funeral in the province, less than a week. Arrived Tuesday for the wake. Dad buried on Saturday. Sunday going back to the US. He would be flying from the province arriving in Manila at around 1pm Sunday. His flight to the US is 10 pm minus the 3 hour check in, it gave us about 6 hours to spend with him. His wife was our high school and college friend but she couldn’t come with him for this trip. Wonders of wonders we all showed up, some minus their children and husbands but we were all represented. And it was great!
L wanted Vietnamese food for the late lunch as he was sick of Filipino food since he got here. We went to Pho Hoa in Alabang Town Center.
I wasn’t able to take a pic of M’s food at the other end of the table but she was shocked by how huge the order was. She’s looking like she has a big problem finishing it. I had fried vegetable rolls, Via had the chicken lollipop with rice. Allen, the boy, had grilled pork. L had a huge bowl with a little of everything. We were all happy with our choices.
After our lunch, we headed to the grocery get the stuff that his wife wanted from here: 20 bottles of cream silk conditioner, 10 bottles of Spanish sardines and 2 dozen cans of Hunt’s pork and beans. We all had a laugh with that. We still had time so we wanted dessert. Off we went to Conti’s where L repacked everything in the parking lot before going in the restaurant.
While they were repacking, the Twerp wanted her picture taken.
Once again, I was not able to take a photo of everyone’s cake. Just this Frozen Mango Bravo and my Viennese Mocha Tort.
Via wanted the Strawberry Shortcake but I didn’t like it and I would be the one to finish the cake if she suddenly didn’t want to eat anymore. Luckily, I was able to convince her to want the Viennese Mocha Torte. She loved it too 
It could be years again before we see L but we will make time to be sure.
I agree with the very first sentence you have here, having a hard time to keep up with friends and for me, even at the outside world. I work at home as a full time dad, and juggling time for the family and for my home work is quite not that easy. Gatherings like the one you had is a good and especial day for any person who is quite busy all year long.
Now I miss my friends. We have not gathered to see each other since December.
I enjoy meet-ups like this one. We also arrange gatherings like this when friends come home for a vacation, and they still miss our stuff here.
funny with the pork n beans no? i was lije, wala yan sa US??
)
i love contis and their mango bravo.
me too mango bravo is my favorite
I haven’t tried Vietnamese food. I wonder if it’s good. Maybe we’ll try Pho HOa some time.
yummy! mejo healthy too because most dishes havw veggies.
Staying in touch with loved ones is so important as we age. Effort is key to making it happen. I agree… The pictures are terrific.
Eliz
It was great that you all got to see him before he left. I also was able to meet up with some friends on Sunday evening. We only had time for dinner, but it feels like we had a lot of kwentos shared between 3 of us girls (plus a husband and baby).
time was short but everyone was talking fast and we covered the i.portant updates
so fun diba 
)
That’s why it’s so much fun to reunite with family or friends back home. Good food and fine dine in, perfect!
I also dined at Pho Hoa years back, on the same spot where you dined! Same pa rin ung tables and chairs nila.
I sooo know the feeling. I don’t even have a husband nor kid yet but how come I can’t meet my friends and relatives anymore.. too sad!
well good for you to meet them.
the next one hopefully would be under more pleasant circumstances
That’s true that you slowly don’t keep in touch as often as you would with your friends/relative/family as you get older because of your personal issues/priorities like kids and family. Once in a while get together over coffee is fine.
As long as you have an understanding with a bff that no matter what life may bring, you’re still bffs. 
True. When we grow older and have our family, settle down. Ayan na, hindi mahagilap ang isa’t isa. Super busy na sa work, family and other things. Hehe. I missed my friends too. Hope we can meet up again soon.
Mommy Maye
it’s really nice being with long time friends after not seeing them for so long, right? i miss my friends too. and by the way, that frozen mango bravo and mocha torte looks really yum! oh, i’m such a dessert lover! hihi!
me too dessert lover kata so hard to lose weight
that was a brief get together but i think that was a cherished meet up
i love conti’s cake!
Yes, it gets to be like that when it comes to spending time with friends when you have your own family to attend to. The last time my college friends and I had a get together with most of us present was year 2008…no follow through anymore. Sadly, even in facebook where it is so easy to drop a note or something, only one of them would initiate to say hello…the others, you’d have to be the one to start a conversation…and yet they always have wall updates hehehe… Good thing my bestfriend, although living far, is never really out of touch.
with so many networking sites you would think getting together would be easier but its more impersonal and surprisingly harder to connect.
I agree that its gets much harder to meet up with friends and keep up with them after getting married, having kids and own careers.. those meets up are really precious.
i agree. thats why we made thw effort even on short notice
we always go to alabang town center.. baka nasasalubong ko na kyo minsan.. hehe
probably not
i hardly
venture outsude of pasig. this was a special occasion.
The quotation is very true… Excuses will continue to come if the person is stubborn enough to do something he dislikes. And I wonder if your friend L is aware that the sardines might not go through customs? When my cousin came back, she brought with her some century tuna cans and she was reprimanded to bring it along with her
I think he got all those stuff through all right. Sometimes US customs are not consistent too.
Good thing there are cellphones and internet now. Keepign in touch with our friend is easy as one click.
i remember while i was in college i always hang out with my friends, it didn’t occur to me then that after graduation our lives will be different. we are 6 in a group, three is working abroad, then one is in davao, then left behind is me and my friend, Irene, yet we don’t see as much as we wanted because of work, family…
I really agree with you. Just a few years after graduating, my friends and I barely see each other na. What more in the next years? But it really pays to make time for these mini-reunions.
I barely see my friends na rin. My world revolves around work, home and family…
Me too
ay, naiinggit naman ako, i rarely see my friends too…namiss ko sila bigla
That’s what Facebook is there for, I suppose. It’s where I see, meet and greet old and forgotten friend, even family members that I haven’t seen in a while.
I miss Conti’s. Your photos look so yumm!
I guess facebook helps but most of my friends aren’t on FB. I dont check it much myself. Got fed up with KSP posts and status messages. Nothing beats face to face for me
Because of busy schedules and living away from home meeting old friends is difficult now a days. I hope see some of them when I get home.