As a time-bound tradition, the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Commerce and Industry (ACPACI) ushered the yuletide season in by celebrating its 7th GMM through a “HATmazing” Christmas party at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila in Makati last December 6, 2013.
Party A La Hat!
That Friday night of December 6, 2013, Intercon’s Legaspi Room was transformed into a “Lotsa HATsa Land” because ACPACI members, officers and friends headed to the gathering fashioned in their “most best, most beautiful, most elegant and most exotic hat”.
The partygoers were seen wearing Santa Claus hat, injecting a yuletide vibe; baseball hat, fedora hat, cowboy hat, pirate hat, straw hat plus more. Some of the ladies borrowed ideas from across the pond and dazzled in their British-influenced fascinators and bedecked wide-brimmed hats looking like the Queen of England, Lady Grantham and Lady Mary of Downton Abbey. Incoming 2014 ACPACI President, Ms. Ning Santos, made a Russian fashion statement via a babushka hat, but the most “HATrageous” and “HATxotic” and “HATlarious” hat of them all was the hat of Ms. Cecilia Carandang, ACPACI Fellowship Director. Her “HATstacular” headgear was a glittery red top hat topped with a white Christmas tree complete with sparkling ornaments and a traditional red star atop. Her hat elicited smiles and wows from the ACPACIANs and she won The Best Hat contest. It was a “no-contest” contest; the audience was simply blown away. When asked where she got the inspirations for her whimsically funny hat, she “HATnestly” answered, “costume yan ng anak ko sa school,” (it’s my kid’s costume in school.)
Fare for the HATlidays
Of course, the festive "HATstravaganza" would not be complete without the holiday meal that is quintessentially ACPACI, from the beautifully appointed Christmas tableau to sweets and scrumptious favorites laden on top of it.
ACPACIANs and friends sipped and savored the flavors of the Christmas season with incredibly delicious dishes that salute the joys of Yuletide gatherings. The enticing entrée like Thai beef salad, shrimp salad with mango, chicken pineapple salad, vegetable salad and rosace of melon and dried smoked ham, set out an elegant start to a memorable get together shindig.
The guests were delighted with delectable selection of dishes from Grandma Style farm chicken Casserole and foreign sounding Beef Osso Buco, to old favorites like roasted porkloin, grilled fish fillet in lemon butter sauce, buttered vegetables and pesto spaghetti. These palate-pleasing dishes were just worthy of everybody’s applause. The hearty chowder soup was a steaming bowl of comfort and joy. The decadent desserts that night were the must-try crepe samurai, the festive flair that was mini éclair, a myriad of fruit salad, and dark chocolate mousse cake. Whether served as a meal’s sweet ending or as a Christmas season indulgence, these mouthwatering treats were everything desserts should be.
Whoops Kiri, What Does the Fox Say, Hat Iba pa....
Mirth comes aplenty with the supra mega funny guy Bennette Consolacion and Cecille Carandang hosting the event. ACPACI Officers and Directors danced to the tune of Whoops Kiri, and their performance was something unexpected because it was done "on the spot" (half of them didn't know that they'd be dancing that night.) Mr. Consolacion asked selected guests about their Christmas wish. Plenty of them answered the customary “world peace” wish, some wished “to have a baby” and the others pined for ”happiness” and “more blessings” this Christmas. The program started off with a convocation and followed by a Yuletide message of ACPACI 2013 President Ms. Connie Cadelina. There were also a number of parlor games joined in by the attendees and ACPACI PUP scholars who graced the event.
The contesters enjoyed the “pop the balloon” game, the “bring me” contest and most especially the “What does the fox say?” contest from the virally famous song of the same title of the Norwegian duo called Ylvis. The object of the game was to find your partner by identifying the sound of animal she or he was trying to imitate. The participants were paired in two, they’d choose their desired animal and decide which one was to be blind folded and which one would be the animal mimicker. At the game proper there was a cacophony of a duck quacking, a cow mooing, a “tik-ti-laok” crow of a rooster, a dog barking, a snake hissing, a cat meowing, etc. That game had the crowd guffawing and in stitches.
For the finale, the revelers played the most awaited parlor games of all, the Mooncake Festival, a festival which is not a festival but a game of dice (for more details about how to play the game, please read last year’s article, ACPACI Celebrates Wild Wild West Christmas). They were thrilled and cheered to the hilt every time they won a prize at the roll of the dice. A plethora of prizes like coffee makers, oven toasters, salad set, storage bowls, pitchers, ceramic mugs, umbrellas, and towels, towels, towels were up for grab that evening. Just like last year’s Christmas party, everybody happily went home with their loot bags stuffed to the brim.
In the end, ACPACI’s HATmazing festivity was a gathering that reflected warmth, excitement and pure jubilation that is the signature of the Yule season.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from ACPACI.