In the limelight

Noisy and colorful as all Chinese New Year celebrations are, the affair at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa had guests trooping to the lobby to witness the Lion and the Dragon dances and the Yee Sang ceremony. Guests of honor were Chinese Consul General and Mrs. Shi Yong and Lapu-Lapu City tourism officer Hembler Mendoza. Gracious hosts were hotel general manager Rene Egle and his team.

○○○ The Chan Lim family of artists and students presented an exhibit of Chinese and Western paintings at SM Seaside City. Over 200 artworks done in Chinese scrolls and oil paintings were on display at the Mountain Wing atrium.

○○○ Best known as a talented fashion designer, OJ Hofer has another talent and preoccupation. He has been into Shodo Japanese calligraphy for six years now, and is the only Filipino accredited with a Jun-Go Dan (sub-fifth level) certificate by the Nihon Shuji School of Calligraphy in Japan. After a visit to the Buddha Museum in Taiwan where he chanced upon the book Travel Like the Cloud and Water, he decided to share his works in an exhibit entitled, Empty Line, Full Heart: Ink Brushwork in Artistic Veneration of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Venue was The Gallery 856 in AS Fortuna, Mandaue City, Cebu. The exhibition was meant “to encourage the viewer to discover his innate perfection and to work on perfecting himself breath by breath.”

○○○ It was a two-day celebration for Isabel Neri when she turned 16. The first one was a surprise dinner party cooked up by her favorite cousin Nessi Neri with the help of close friends, and a day later, another dinner party with Isabel inviting classmates from Bright Academy. The fun gatherings were all held at the Neri residence in Bauhinia Drive.

○○○ For Gingging Morelos, it was a birthday celebration which began with an afternoon mass at the chapel of the Archbishop’s Palace officiated by Archbishop Jose Palma, and went on to an intimate dinner affair at the Palace dining hall catered by the Cafe Laguna group. The evening’s special menu was cooked up by dear friend Lita Urbina, while the yummy birthday cake was whipped up by Bernadette Gallego of the La Marea fame. Helping Gingging with host duties were devoted hubby Nestor M, only daughter Grace and husband Doc Vince Avanzado with their two children Vincent and Vianna.

BIRTHDAY GIRL. Isabel Neri (seated with her birthday cake) and friends; (front row, from left) Addissa Cabalan, Shi Jin Lee, Mariz Saranaza, Zi Letrondo, the celebrant, Paulene Orias, Asia Sharpe and Bimbim Akbar; (back row, from left) Migo Gonzales, David Lim, Zeke Eteve, Joven Park, Carl Sabinay and Justin Lysak. Right photo, Isa and favorite cousin Nessi (foreground) and guests Sara Prohom, Ian Rosales; (back row, from left) Kristoffer Borja, Amanda Macariola, Daisy Zambrano, Julian Neri, Kenzo Sandico, CJ Yance and Fonso Ortiz.

EMPTY LINE, FULL HEART. At the Japanese calligraphy exhibit of OJ Hofer shown here with his guest of honor Rep. Ann Hofer Santos against a background of one-stroke ENSO Circles at the 856 Gallery. Middle photo, OJ holding the book Travel Like the Cloud and Water, with Dharma friends (from left) Bhavna Gupta, Nick and Sarah Henderson with Shitra, Venerable Due Lin, Venerable Miao Xin, Venerable Youlin, Susan Tan, Benjie Layos and Romero Vergara. At right, OJ with Japanese friends (from left) Nagako Kobayashi, Kinue Sakurai, Yuko Ishikawa, Shodo Sensei, Takeko Nagai, Kaori Kobayashi and Masako Hirasawa.

CELEBRATION AT SHANGRI-LA. General manager Rene Egle dots the eyes of the Lion during the Chinese New Year festivities. At right, the guests of honor, Mrs. Shi Yong, Lapu-Lapu tourism officer Hembler Mendoza and Chinese Consul General Shi Yong.

ART EXHIBIT. At SM Seaside City during the opening of the Chan Lim family exhibit, Chan Lim (center) and the members of his family.

BIRTHDAY PICS. Gingging Morelos with Archbishop Jose Palma after her birthday mass. At right, Gingging with daughter Grace Avanzado and dear friends Marivic Borromeo and Bernadette Gallego (seated).