My father has few constants in life: Casino Filipino after lunch, control freak issues and Sy Association officer duties. Guess which one I tolerate w/ease.
One family obligation I have never been a big fan of is having to attend Sy Association luncheons or dinners. Now as the only child left unmarried, as well as being default driver on Sundays, my presence becomes more or less mandatory.
These meetings are always held either at President's Tea House in Binondo or Dragon Gate Seafood Restaurant along Roxas Boulevard. Today it was at the latter to commemorate their 50th Anniversary. Every year I show up I don't recognize a single face if it didn't belong to a relative, and even then it's a crap shoot where my father's side of the family is concerned. Every year they have members (or more recently the inaptly-named youth org that's lacking in youths) sing Chinese songs onstage amidst a barely attentive audience too busy scarfing down coldcuts or whatever part of the 8-10 course meal has been presented.
By way of compensation (or "thanks for putting up w/ this") raffles are held. Sadly the odds are always against me in terms of winning prizes bigger than Door. Still, ang bao beats Certificate of Attendance anytime. All I have to do it sit w/o interacting w/ unfamiliar faces and listen to godawfully interpreted songs. Like wathing a pre-school Xmas play/variety program. If I had no scruples I'd get up on stage and belt out some Air Supply. That'll shut 'em up. ;)
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On our way home Ma and I stopped by that new SM grocery store along Nagtahan. If its goal was to compete w/ the Robinsons Otis I'd say it already lost by not offering free parking. We felt "compelled" to buy some fruits (and a bottle of mustard) so we can't say we paid 25 bucks just to look around.
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