Setting of an elegant birthday bash hosted by Cebu City Marriott Hotel headed by the affable General Manager Patrick Carroll was the Grand Ballroom 3 of the hotel. Table setting by Debbie Huang was marvelously decorated with a sweet aroma wafting all over the ballroom.
Before dinner was served, all the honorees and the Marriott Team enjoyed sipping chilled red and white wines paired with cheese. At this time, National Artist Mar Vidal sketched the face of Jaime Picornell in ten minutes. While Mar was doing his thing, his daughter, opera singer Izarzuni Vidal belted songs like “Stangers in Paradise” and entertained everyone which earned a thunderous applause from the audience.
As we proceeded with the sit down dinner cum mini concert, the food served was superb with Marriott’s Executive Chef Chachpol Swaisom, who prepared a feast for the palate and the senses just for us. In other words, we had actually a Mediterranean Greek Dinner!
A little later after dinner, the seven birthday celebrators (Marlinda Tan, Chinggay Utzurrum, Mila Espina, Honey Loop, Cookie Newman, Jaime Picornell and this scribe) went upstage and with seven cakes before us, blew the candles together.
Just as we were about to say goodbye, Artist Mar Vidal surprised each one of us with his painting as his gifts for us… for posterity.
This yearly practice (social norm) of honoring the Lifestyle writers’ birthday bash started during Karl Hudson’s time, followed by Roy Abraham, continued by Bruce Winton, and now, the ever-hospitable GM Patrick Carroll. We can never thank Patrick enough for his thoughtful gesture in pursuing this very inspiring generosity of Cebu City Marriott Hotel. PTL.