Last October 2018, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh held its Diplomatic Reception at the Cultural Palace, Diplomatic Quarter, in celebration of the 120th Declaration of Philippine Independence and the 49th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This was the first reception under the leadership of Ambassador Adnan V. Alonto, and our first reception here since we arrived in 2017. The guests included members of the Diplomatic corps, Saudi royalty and businessmen, Filipino community leaders, and all Embassy personnel and their spouses. Being a photobook enthusiast, I couldn't pass up the chance to create a memorabilia of this occasion. My husband was equally supportive of the idea and agreed to donate a copy of the photobook to the Embassy. Talk about a supportive (stage) husband. I must say it was great seeing everyone dressed up in their Filipiniana's finest. Even our friends from other embassies complimented our nice gowns.
After the formal program, high school students of the International Philippine School in Riyadh rendered a singkil dance - to the guests' delight and amazement. Finally, for dinner, everyone enjoyed sumptuous traditional Filipino and Maranao food, catered by Holiday Inn - Meydan, and Ms. Norhanie Dimakuta, respectively. In keeping with the festive atmosphere of the occasion, the Ambassador's Choir continued to entertain the guests during dinner with their lively Filipino songs and some kundiman. As a bonus, the guests also got to enjoy traditional sorbetes! So Pinoy! Having attended a number of receptions since our arrival here, I must say that our reception was one to be remembered. It's the little touches like the dance, the sorbetes ice cream, the lively singing, so characteristic of our own fiestas, that make us very unique and very Pinoy.
A big congratulations to everyone for pulling off this successful event, Embassy personnel and sponsors alike, but most especially to Ambassador and Madam Alonto. Looking forward to and so excited for the diplomatic reception this year when the Embassy shall be celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between our country and the Kingdom. Photos by Ms. Heidee Urbano and Mr. Normal Casil * * * Read: My other articles about our diplomatic life here in Riyadh: Gorgeous and Modern: Princess Nourah Universty Beyond Malls: Exploring Riyadh... with Kids! Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey Also, do check out our Saudi Arabia Gallery for more pictures from around Riyadh. Thanks!
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To continue the top five things I love about this wonderful city: 3. French Quarter (Vieux Carré) On our second day, we got up early to grab some more - ehem - beignets at Café Du Monde and ended up just walking around the French Quarter after breakfast. I loved this time of the day as there were relatively fewer tourists on the streets and we got to explore the many interesting sights, shops, and architecture around the area. I don't know what it is about the French Quarter that entices people. It's not the cleanest. At night, it can be full of drunk people. Some streets have a funky smell. And yet, I find it so beautiful, and quaint, and interesting. 4. Mississippi River Cruise We try to take a cruise in every city we go to as a way to relax and see the city from a different perspective. In NOLA, we took the Daytime Jazz Cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez. In true steamboat style, we cruised down the mighty Mississippi River and enjoyed the afternoon relaxing and having a few drinks onboard. And because we're in New Orleans - the home of Louis Armstrong - what's a daytime cruise without some live jazz music playing. And finally...
Where else in the world can you take the time off to eat some awesome beignet and drink iced coffee while listening to a live music?
* * * Read: First part of our New Orleans trip. For more pictures from our trip, do check out our US Gallery. Enjoy!
As soon as we arrived in NOLA, honestly, I had doubts. Definitely the city underwent major changes post-Katrina. Have I built it up so much in my head for all these years only to be disappointed? Will Von enjoy it as much as I did 15 years ago? As soon as we started walking around the French Quarter, all the wonderful memories from my 21st birthday came back to me and soon found myself in love with the same city, and with the man that I love to boot. 5 things to love about NOLA: While there are too many things to love about the city, I will try to list down my top 5: 1. Glorious, glorious food! As soon as we had checked-in at our hotel, our first order of business was Café Du Monde along Decatur Street. I waited 15 years to try their Beignets and Café Au Lait again, and I couldn’t wait for another hour. What can I say. Extreme happiness. We arrived there just before lunch and naturally, had to wait in line for no more than 30 minutes. Many people say it’s a tourist trap because of the long lines, but for good reason. Counting all the beignets we ate throughout the duration of our trip, including Café Du Monde's competitor, Cafe Beignet, we had a grand total of 18. Seriously, I thought we ate too much beignets that time. But as soon as we left, I regretted not eating more. Hmm... I wonder if there’s any place in NOLA that sells bad beignets. NOLA is also the home of world-famous Creole cuisine and although I’m not a fan of Gumbo and spicy foods, I did enjoy other NOLA favourites like po'boys and awesome seafood dishes. We decided to try Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant, just across our hotel Courtyard Inn by Marriott at Iberville in the French Quarter, and everything we ate was yummy! Softshell Crab Po'Boy and Barbecue Seafood Pasta - yummy! If you're a fan of the movie Chef, you would know that NOLA is one of the cities mentioned in the movie with a great food scene. It really is! 2. Ghost Tours Being an old city in the US, New Orleans has seen its fair share of tragedies such as massive fires, Yellow fever epidemic in the 1800s, and most recently, Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Along with its history of being populated with convicts and pirates upon its establishment, no wonder it is considered the most Haunted City in America. But this is also the reason why tourists flock to this charming city. The thrill of joining Ghost tours, visiting old cemeteries, and staying in haunted hotels. Eek! While we passed up on visiting a cemetery, and we're too scared to stay in a haunted hotel (I had to cancel a couple of hotel reservations after reading reviews about ghostly sightings!), we couldn't pass up on joining a Nightly Ghost Tour. I joined a Ghost Tour during my first visit but it was still thrilling to join one this time as it was also Von's first time. Some of the stories were also new to me and definitely gave us the creeps! The most famous haunted house in the French Quarter - the LaLaurie Mansion, the home of some of the most atrocious stories about slavery and torture; The house of Jacques St. Germain - the legendary New Orleans vampire - the house that inspired Anne Rice to write about Lestat. To add to the city's charm, we also visited a few days before Halloween so the spooky decorations were in hyper mode. * * * Read: Last part of our New Orleans trip. For more pictures from our trip, do check out our US Gallery. Enjoy! |