Some 11 years ago, immediately after graduating from the Cebu International School, Margarita Jarque left for London as part of her long-promised European holiday to spend some time with her uncle Edu Jarque who was then tourism attache of the Department of Tourism and attache to the Embassy of the Philippines to the Court of Saint James.
There she met Marco Bellal, a hands-on manager of a popular Spanish restaurant on Kensington Court right in the same building where she was temporarily billeted. Daily encounters naturally led to a deepening friendship.
However, Margarita continued her voyage of discovery and her next destination was Valencia in Spain to enhance her linguistic prowess with her aunt Ana Fe Lujan who owns a language academy. It did not stop Marco from staying in touch through e-mails and telephone calls.
After a year, Margarita returned to London and their friendship flourished. Eventually, love set in, and wedding bells rang. The couple decided to settle in one of the city suburbs and was soon blessed with a lovely daughter Leila.
Ten wonderful years of marriage is more than enough reason for a celebration and the Bellals visited Cebu recently to commemorate this special occasion among close family and dear friends.
The grand Salon de Madrid of the Casino Español de Cebu was transformed into a romantic Algerian setting complete with satin tents, intricately carved low tables, and fluffy floor cushions. Adhering to the dress code, most invitees came in colorful kaftans.
The club’s talented executive chef Toto de los Reyes masterfully prepared an authentic Algerian menu that delighted the guests. There was roasted lamb, wonderfully flavored tajines, steamed fish, chicken couscous, salad with yogurt and, for dessert, the popular baklava, a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped walnuts and sweetened with honey.
Margarita’s dad Ramon Jarque and her mom Lisa Mill Irving welcomed everyone and gave impassioned and grateful speeches thanking those present for making the evening even more memorable.
Among the visiting out-of-town guests were Marco’s brother Djamel, his wife Sassi and children from France, relatives Tony and Fenian Moran who came down from Manila and so did Pop-C Jaranilla and her children Mario and Karina who brought her boyfriend Oliver Oligario from Cagayan de Oro, and Robbi and Amanda Vicente from Dumaguete.
Immediately after the delicious desserts, the couple took to the dance floor and performed a typical Algerian dance. Marco, who normally was shy, dropped all inhibitions and danced with heart and soul. Mike Sasnouvski, an international ballroom competitor, gamely obliged the lady ballroom enthusiasts with the swing, rumba, and rock and roll.
The guests evidently enjoyed themselves and stayed on till dawn with the endless good wine, excellent food, and lively music.
Margarita’s parents, her sister Cristina, only brother Eduque in their pursuit of perfection pulled out all the stops to make the festive celebration full of unforgettable memories.