family

The big party

January 5, 2010

Our multi-occasion party on January 2nd was a great success.  150 guests from both the Gamboa and Castelvi side of the family attended.  We celebrated my Grandfather’s 80th birthday, my Grandma’s 79th, my Dad’s 53rd, my Uncle Jhet’s 53rd and my parents’ 28th Wedding Anniversary.  Phew!  We really know how to milk a get together […]






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To endings and beginnings

January 5, 2010

I am sitting in MNL airport, waiting to board my flight to SIN.  Mom, Dad and DJ have just left for their flight to Hong Kong.  This is the start of my solo journey – first to Singapore, then to Bali and then I don’t know what next.  It is surreal to be here on […]






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Happy Anniversary to my Mama and Daddy Dearest

January 2, 2010

We had a massive family reunion/party tonight. A party to celebrate a zillion occasions – my grandfather’s 80th birthday, my grandmother’s 79th, my Dad’s 53rd and my parents’ 28th wedding anniversary. We had 150 guests at a catered restaurant venue nearby. Everyone dressed up and it was amazing to have both the Gamboas and the […]






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A Happy New Year. Cheers to 2009 and welcome 2010!

January 1, 2010

Wow, it's 2010.  Happy happy New Year!  What a celebration this year: illegal fireworks in the streets, karaoke and dancing on the porch and snacking, talking, laughing and crying until 4am in the morning.  This is the way celebrations should be spent: with a zillion family members, lots of booze, lots of music, lots of […]






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Girl’s night out

December 23, 2009

Do we look related, or what? =) We are just a handful of the dozens of us cousins here. Ranging from age 16 to 27, we were preparing for a night out of dancing. =)






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The weight of small things

December 20, 2009

A few days ago, the family (about a dozen aunts, uncles and cousins) went back to my Mom’s old elementary school to spread some Christmas cheer to about 300 kids from the barrio. My mom has been sponsoring this yearly Christmas feeding for about two years now but this is the first time she’s had […]






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Back to the beginning: A Family Christmas in the Philippines

December 18, 2009

I’m a banana. Yellow on the outside, white on the inside. This is what friends have always said to me growing up. Philippine born, Canadian raised, Euro/American adult. I’m a bit of an in-between. My brother and I have spent most of our memorable lives in Canada. We left the Philippines when I was 5 […]






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With the Gamboa-side girl cousins

December 17, 2009






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