Last December 7, 2012, ACPACIANs took off their usual thinking caps and put on their cowboy hats, leather boots, plaid shirts with matching vests and celebrated a Wild Wild West Christmas at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila in Ayala, Makati City.
A party that wallops the senses
It was a night to forget work and worries and a night to enjoy the convivial foods and moods.
The menu consisted of more than ten dishes (including the salads and desserts), and each dish was amazingly delicious: chicken barbeque pungent with lemon and oregano mix, succulent minced lamb kofta fragrant with garlic and thyme, tender beef shanks accented with bell peppers. Weight watchers and dieters savored as many helpings of grilled banana and pineapple skewers and grilled vegetables glazed with olive oil and flavored with garlic, yet remained unrepentant-- they knew their trans fat intake was next to zero.
To achieve a genuine Wild Wild West gastronomic atmosphere, ranch-style dishes such as Texan Chili Beans, corn on the cob and baked potatoes were served. Velvety and aromatic as the French cassoulet, the beans in the Texan Chili Beans virtually melted like fluffy whipped cream on your mouth as you eat and were surprisingly light. The traditional corn on the cob slathered with a generous dollop of butter was a no-fail delight; the baked potatoes were individually wrapped in shimmering tin foil as if they were Miss Universe contestants dressed-up in silvery gowns, ready to strut onto the plates of the ACPACI members and guests and prepared to please the palate. No tasting, please, without dunking first the potato in zesty sour cream and homey garnishes.
There was one buffet table filled with desserts that looked as delectable as they tasted. The desserts lent a delicious sweet dose of Christmas goodness: brownie bites, mini cheesecakes, bite-size tiramisu and other decadent pastries. They maybe small but they produced big flavors and great pleasures to the sweet-toothed members and guests. Small is big when partying.
The banana bread pudding, ornamented with raisins, was delicately layered; its center was soft and tender and was simply flawless. The ubiquitous fruit salad bathed in a pool of vanilla sauce, and an array of fresh fruits such as watermelons, melons, mangoes and pineapples completed the holiday dessert table. Hotel Intercon and ACPACI, as always, delivered bon appétit!
A Wacky & Wild Wild West party with a cause
The event was also graced by the ten ACPACI scholars who are taking up Accountancy at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. It was an opportunity for the members and officers to meet and bond with them. Every other year, the association gives out scholarships to select and deserving students of PUP who are on their 3rd year of schooling until they graduate. The beneficiaries receive semestral stipend from the organization.
The students arrived at the party dressed in their Wild Wild West attire. The group was formally presented by Ms. Edna L. Constantino, Director for Scholarship and Special Projects and by ACPACI President, Ms. Rebecca Arago. One by one, the scholars introduced themselves, and as a way of thanking ACPACI, they prepared a dance number and grooved into the horsey beat of Psy’s Gangnam Style.
One highlight of the event was the Best in Costume contest. There were five contenders: Ms. Cecille Carandang, Annual Convention Director; Ms. Connie Cadelina, EVP and Director for Professional Development and incoming ACPACI President for 2013; Ms. Cynthia Campos, Treasurer and Director for Ways and Means; Ms. Betty Salvador, Past ACPACI President; and one of the ACPACI scholars. They showed off their eye-catching, eye-popping, cowgirl outfit. The view on the stage called to mind scenes from Western Hollywood movies like Unforgiven starring Clint Eastwood, or the more updated The Dukes of Hazard with Jessica Simpson. All they needed was a ranch to wander around, and they’re ready to chase any rogue cows from the herd with their lasso.
Ms. Betty Salvador bagged the Best in Costume award. She was uber game and wacky in her knee-length black boots and leather jacket with glittering rhinestones patterns at the front and on the sleeves. Her long red skirt with yellow ruffles was like those skirts that flamenco dancers wear. She paraded before (and wowed) the audience while straddling the cardboard cut-out of her black stallion. Hers was a combination of a cowgirl-cum-bargirl-cum-flamenco dancer-cum-female Elvis outfit with the horse Tonto in tow; hers was a tour-de-force ensemble.
The contestants’ impromptu Gangnam Style dance number (again) was a riot. It elicited giggles, whistles and cheers and elevated the holiday gathering into a party extraordinaire! A true crowd pleaser and everyone was a winner.
A party filled with fun games and prizes
Mr. Jayson Ayson, Director for Fellowship and Sports and also the event’s host, readied engaging and exciting parlor games for the attendees like the Bring Me Contest with a Twist. Ms. Connie Cadelina won the bring me the “pinakamagandang company ID Picture” (the company ID with the prettiest picture), and bring me the “belt with the biggest buckle” contest. An ACPACI scholar brought the “most Jurassic cell phone” to Mr. Ayson. She and Ms. Cadelina received gift certificates from SM; Ms. Nanette Tabuac, Publication and Website Chair, beat the other 19 participants of the “pass the balloon while being blind-folded” contest and scored GCs worth P1, 000 from Forever 21; Ms. Jeramie Buyco of 7Eleven and Mary Jane Sarza of Edward Keller emerged as the winners in the balloon relay contest. They shared GCs worth P1, 000 c/o Uniclo.
Apart from the games, mugs and coasters, sponsored by Ms. Gina Ciolo of DKSH and ACPACI Director for Special Projects, and other goodies were raffled off that night. The lucky winners included Mr. Boy Tecson, Ms. Gie Guillermo and Ms. Betty Salvador.
For the finale, all the attendees played the Mooncake Festival game. To simplify, Mooncake is a festival sans the cake, but with six dice and lots of prizes.
The mechanics of the game was ably explained by ACPACI Executive Director, Ms. Winnie Cuico. It actually involved hankering and praying for number four: you roll all the six dice and if there’s a four, you win a prize; if there are two fours, you win a prize; there’s no prize for three fours, but if you get four fours, you win a prize; the more fours you get, the higher the prize. Also, you win a major prize if you roll in a straight 1, 2, 3,4,5,6 dice. Prizes like electric kettles, rice cookers, towels and tumblers, ACPACI shirts, etc. were up for grab. The game was quite easy and even beginners had fun playing it. You could hear gasps of delight and shrill of laughter on the table whenever a player got a prize.
Nobody went home empty-handed. Everyone left the party in high spirits. It was a blissful gathering jam-packed with good food, entertainment, music, games and fun; a gathering that yielded good memories to last throughout the years. Lastly, it was a gathering that emphasized ACPACI’s mission to spread more joy and cheers in this happiest season of the year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everyone!
From the ACPACI Family!