Grand Family Reunion: An Ultimate Summer Blast

After a full-packed summer weekend at Mantangale and a victorious Going Global Singles Conference in Cebu came the final blast for the month - our first ever grand family reunion in Bohol. Whew! Looks to me like the land of chocolate hills has become my concluding venue for summer, that is, my official spot for summer vacation finale just like last year’s "Huling Hirit sa Tag-init!"

Held last May 27, 2006 at my great grandparents’ ancestral home in Sandingan Island, Loon, Bohol, the first grand family reunion was a great success. It brought together over 200 family members coming from different places (Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bukidnon, etc) who came to Bohol to witness and take part of that very special family event.

Tracing back the roots of our ancestry brought joy and amusement for us youngsters. From my great grandfather Lolo Menes and my great grandmother Lola Bebang came nine siblings to which my grandfather Lolo Petok belonged. Lolo Petok then got married to Lola Gaudencia, bore children, my mom being the third among the brood of five. Then came the great grandchildren (apo sa tuhod) to which I, my sis and my cousins belong, and the great great grandchildren (apo sa lapa-lapa), the offsprings of my cousins (ako wala pa, hahaha!).

Nine colors represented each of the nine families of the entire Roslinda Clan. The selection of the t-shirt color was pre-drawn, and we (Lolo Petok’s family) got the red one. So there you’ll see the bold print at the back: “Menes-Bebang Roslinda Clan”. (Thanks to Uncle Boy for his painstaking effort of printing the shirts nga pagka daghan jud kaau, whew!).

We started the activity with a thanksgiving mass in the morning, followed by a festive banquet at lunch. The program proper began in the afternoon with the presentation of each family (as in roll call jud sugod sa pinakapunuan hangtod sa pinkatumoy hehe!). The dancing ground was then set, with music mixed from the hits of the 50’s down to the 90’s and to the most recent ones (2K’s millennium era), para makasabay sugod sa pinakatigulang hangtud sa pinakabata, hahaha!. Special production numbers and other surprise numbers from every family had also made the festivity a more enlivening one.

At around 3:00 p.m. all the kids (there were almost a hundred of them) were gathered at my cousin’s compound for their separate party, the Jollibee Treasure Adventure. Thrill and excitement filled the entire arena as the kids enjoyed the games prepared by the Jollibee team. They got even more ecstatic when the three mascots Jollibee, Hetty and Twirly got out from the room, shaked hands with everybody, made beso-beso to every kid, presented their lively dance number, and spent time with them for picture taking. Whew! I can really see my nephews and nieces smiling from ear to ear! They definitely had much fun! (To Auntie Sally right there in Texas, thank you so much for sponsoring that event. You’ve certainly put a smile to each kid in the clan.)

The concluding activity after dinner was the kick-off disco party for all. I seemed like a party pooper that time 'coz there was no shadow of me seen at the the disco spot. I just slept all night long due to heavy stress and fatigue, aarrggh! The following morning, it was time for beach escapade. Just too bad, our group (me, my mom, Uncle Diego and my cousins Daniel and Brian) wasn't able to join the fun 'coz it was time for us to depart Bohol and catch the 3:00 p.m. cruise of the ferry from Jagna to Cagayan de Oro. So we just took a final snapshot before finally leaving my cousin's place. (Thanks to Manang Nora and Mommy Belen for the "first class hotel" accommodation, hehehe!)

My trip to Bohol was indeed memorable. And I'm looking forward to coming back to my great grandparents' hometown year after year.. after year.

More photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/6