Our Despedida (Going Away Party)

Today we had a going away party (or despedida in the local language Tagalog) for all of the household help we have and their families. This included both children and parents of the staff. We had over 50 people in attendance, including about 20 kids under the age of 10. We wanted to say goodbye to everyone and thank them for all the support and help they have given us during our time here. They have all been wonderful and given us much insight into the Philippines.

We ordered food from a person in the village that does catering of Filipino fare.
Our menu consisted of:
Pancit Mix—Noodles with shrimp, pork cubes & vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, pea pods, & others sautéed and mixed.
Calderetta —Tomato-based beef dish with potato, bell pepper & green peas. Grilled &/or
Lumpiang Shanghai—Spring rolls made of minced pork, shrimp and several spices cooked deep fried.
Chicken/Pork Adobo with Chicken Liver Sauce—Adobo is the Philippines national dish. This particular version is composed of chicken and pork cubes cooked in vinegar, garlic and other spices with crushed chicken liver for a thick sauce.
Pork BBQ—Pork cubes on wooden skewers cooked over a charcoal grill
Eggplant Salad—Roasted eggplant, mashed and then seasoned with garlic, vinegar, pepper and onion,topped with very thin slices of onion and tomatoes.
Steamed rice
Leche Flan—A custard like dessert.
Spaghetti and tomato sauce

We were a little concerned about having enough food, but in the end we had plenty. It was enough to send left-overs home with the guests.

The young kids were initially drawn to the pool. We had purchased water wings for the kids to wear in the pool as a lot of them have not had swimming lessons. The kids were a little fearful at first about letting go of the wall, but our kids were in the pool and playing with the kids and helping them feel comfortable in the water. We had trouble getting them out for lunch, and they went right back in after lunch. They all took their water wings home with them, so hopefully they will have other opportunities to use them.

The kids also enjoyed the trampoline. They bounced and rolled and kicked balls around inside the net around the trampoline. Some of the older kids played volleyball and badminton (although without a net). Towards the end, we had the dance mats out to play the dancing game DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution). Two people go head to head trying to hit 4 spots (forward, left, backward, right) on a sensor mat that correspond to directions on the TV screen that match the beat of a chosen song.. Not only is it fun, but it can also give you a good workout.

We will miss the people who have become a part of our life while we have been here. We wish them and their families the best of luck

Good luck Ray, Tining, Elena, Dante, Jun-Jun, Vicki and Lillian.