The Mexorean Despedida Day: The Expected and the Unexpected, to the Red, White, and Blue

- July 18, 2014, Friday.

- This morning, my friend Margarette and I paid our Mexican-Filipina friend Michelle a visit, since she was going to the USA after attending to some urgent matters for around half a year. Since her first despedida in 2012, I thought I wouldn't be able to see her again, but fortunately, I get to see Michelle at least once or twice a year when she visits the country.

- As always, Michelle served her homemade Mexican dishes which I always love. This time, she served corn-based tortilla, one plain batch and another batch with melted cheese. The plain ones were to be accompanied by red beans, shredded lettuce, shredded carrots, shredded boiled chicken, diced onions and tomatoes, and some Mexican hot sauce that burns the mouth but is essential since it enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients. (There were times when we used to add salsa, jalapenos, guacamole, and/or grated cheese.) Apart from these, Margarette brought a chocolate roll, and I brought some puto and kutsinta for dessert.

Making cheese-filled tortilla.

Yay lunch!!

Nene teaching me how to make tortillas from scratch.

- Probably the best and the most unexpected part of our visit was Michelle "entrusting" me a big pack of canned beans, salsa, jalapenos, and half a pack of Maseca corn flour, and two bottles of awesome Mexican hot sauce. No one was going to use them after she leaves for the USA, so she handed them to the most cultural person she knew who loved Mexican food as much as she did - me (LOL.)

- Margarette and I had to leave around 4, since Michelle needed to do some final preparations before going to the airport. Margarette and I parted ways later on, and I rushed home to do a quick costume change before going to dinner.

- Two months after my first visit, I found my way back at Hwangso-Ga (across Robinsons Department Store Adriatico Exit, right beside Makchang,) and as usual I was the first one to arrive, and reserved seats for my college Fil-Chi carpool group. I found it amusing that then table next to the one given to me was occupied by some other people I knew.

YAY!!

Hurray for soju.

Charmaine trying to move the soju away from her; she likes to pretend she's innocent. HAHA.

- Hwangso-Ga never ceases to amuse me with their food selection. Even though this buffet has less food as compared to something like Choice Korean Buffet in Macapagal, Hwangso-Ga's diverse selection and the make-it-yourself counters provides customers with the essential Korean favorites.

- On top of everything else, we all had soju to share. I really like soju, and it still remains to be one of the really short list of alcoholic drinks I like and actually enjoy drinking. (And no, I don't/never drink until I become drunk.)

- We left Hwangso-Ga around 10pm, right after Anne gave us her jaw-dropping good-bye speech and went ahead of us. She told us that she'd be going to the USA to study her master's. While she will most likely come back to the Philippines after taking her master's, she'd still be gone for a good two years. (We'll miss you Anne!!)

- I didn't expect today to be a day of goodbyes (at least not permanent ones,) but I can honestly say that today was well spent and filled with good memories.