MEDIUM RARE
When you’ve hit the golden 50 in your life as a happily wedded couple, your friends are dearer to you now that they’re old enough to value your wisdom.
Niwa Ang, a retired banker, went up the stage and took the mic to address his and his Olive’s guests last Saturday to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at the Polo Club. He reminded them: “You need a lawyer because you have to divide your assets, you need a doctor because you don’t want to get sick.”
Spelled in 18-carat gold, his advice came down to: “No secrets between husband and wife, that’s the secret.” Furthermore, “children are the bond that keeps Mr. and Mrs. together.”
Olive, elegantly gowned in ecru in layers of embroidery by Espina, her couturier, approved, smiling. Not only is Niwa – real name Ceferino – a witty public speaker, he has a sense of humor that is matched by his sense of order and neatness. According to his personality profile, shared with guests as part of a trio of games played during the party, he is “more organized” than the lady of the house. Which is probably true, in light of another bit of information that surfaced: Niwa proposed to Olive in his car when they were out on a date.
Their friends saw how Olive can be just as efficient and neat, such as when she formed several groups of her friends for picture-taking during the dinner, dividing them into family, Theresians, and fellow travelers.
Among the golden couple’s guests at tables 2 and 5 were Benjie Yap; Maurice Lim (a retired banker); Manny Samson (his team of interior designers has a new hotel project coming up in Palawan); Evelyn Tan, gowned in softly gleaming copper; Nancy Yang (also a banker) and her husband; Rachy Cuna (black pants with jeepney prints, quite original); Fermin Reyes; Annie Giger, in an ice-blue terno, with her Cap; and Marivic Vazquez, in lavender, pale as a petal.
Olive and Niwa, like their guests at #2 and #5, belong to Benjie’s eating club. It’s been months since the group last met, the heat factor at noontime being a turn-off. Now that it’s LPA (low pressure area) season, is it time to MAE (meet and eat) again?