CNY walwalan and food coma

In keeping with our tradition, my friends and I got together to celebrate our favorite holiday. None of us have Chinese blood, but we have been doing this for so long that we could very well just inoculate it into our bodies to make things official and authentic. Kidding aside, I believe the beginning of the lunar calendar and the changing of the Chinese Zodiac bring in some unexplained energy and hope. As we always say, "wala naman mawawala kung susundin naten yung practices nila." So, every year, we feast and get drunk on Chinese New Year's Eve.

This year, instead of the usual celebration in Davao, we decided to celebrate in Manila... for a change... and for Kim Seon-ho's fan meet! No shame there. He's a good actor with a popularity that can sell out the entire MOA Arena. No biggie. After a thorough search of venues where we can have a proper New Year's Eve dinner, we ended up at a Seaside dampa-paluto restaurant... and I loved it! Nothing fancy. It was as close as we can get to a homecooked meal. I'm sure it was not cheap (thank you, sponsors!), as the dishes were served like as if we were in a buffet. 

What came after the meal was nothing I expected. I have never consumed as much margaritas as I did that night. I was not drunk, but I felt the buzz and I could not stop smiling. I liked that I did more listening than talking and that I did not feel awkward at all despite being the newbie in the group. The celebration even spilled over the next day... Brekkie with the Mariano family. Coffee at the Chairman's office. A successful fan meet and law school recruitment (hopefully!). Onion ayuda and bonggang loot bag. If this weekend is a harbinger of things to come this year, then 2023 will be truly hectic and unforgettable.

Tada! Pickled onions! So proud! Thanks YouTube!