It’s being held at the Sofitel which overlooks Manila Bay and is definitely the place for exclusive functions. There’s an enormous wedding taking place in their main ballroom so we’re relegated to the Sunset Pavilion, a large white permanent marquee which is a delightful venue. If I had been told there were 600 people at the wedding, I would not have been surprised. No expense spared! The thought keeps flitting through my brain: I hope the marriage lasts, otherwise, what a waste.
We’ve got 180 of the Philippine Rotary’s best and brightest at our venue and so we start on the interminable round of invocations and introductions and addresses and thanks, and inductions, and so on. Even though it was set down for 6 o’clock, the knowledgeable ones didn’t arrive until 8, understanding that nothing starts on time and the first hour or so are the most tedious.
Highlights included the entertainment. An extraordinary group called the Angelos sang. Four young men, opera-trained, who sang with passion. Move over El Divo, you’ve got some competition. There was a good middle-of-the-road band and a ‘veteran’ female singer who murdered Burt Bacharach. I wonder how she felt being introduced as ‘veteran’.
One of the interesting elements of the Filipino culture is that nobody stops talking to listen to speakers, or singers. Having made a few speeches here, I can tell you it is disconcerting rabbiting on when not even the front row is listening. Also, speakers here are not don’t seem to have the same tricks to grab attention as we might see in Australia. Of course, they’re talking in a second or third language and it’s not surprising that they are hesitant. There’s no surer way to lose an audience than to appear hesitant. The most effective speaker on the night was, in fact, their guest from Taiwan, PRIVP Gary Huang (you don’t need to know what his title means). Even though he spoke in English, he used light and shade and forceful expressions and kept the background conversation to a dull roar.
The organizers had gone to a great deal of trouble to get some great prizes for the raffle. There must have been 40 minor prizes, and we didn’t win any but we had our eye on he major prizes which included flights for two to Bangkok, a washing machine, and a small TV set. A lot of people left early and we scavenged some tickets which had been left behind. Also, if you weren’t there to claim the prize, another ticket would be drawn.
Fanfare! We will now draw the major prizes, and the first winner is ticket number 062. That’s mine, says Marilyn so off we go to collect it. Up on stage for photographs of the presentation and the chairman was proud to tell we had won – two budgies in a cage!
They were labeled English Bugies (pronounced English Boogies) but we knew exactly what they were. We were told that they were worth about 20000 pesos ($500) so we done well.It was a bit of a cramped ride home with three of us in the back seat of the Honda Accord and the budgies in the front. It looks like Rex has another present. He must think it’s Christmas very day.
Yes, of course, I thought of all the jokes about smuggling them back into Australia and I do, in fact, have a pair of speedos but nobody here knows what budgie smugglers are and I’m not about to enlighten them
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