Second dinner with voucher at La Cucina/Carlos Pueblo

Second dinner with voucher at La Cucina/Carlos Pueblo

With the experience of the first dinner at Cagney’s, I invited the second set of

daughters, Angelica of Philippine and Ani of Indonesia, for a dinner at an Italian

restaurant La Cucina on deck 7 mid-ship. Angelica told me that Ani was also

gladly accepted the invitation. The approving procedure went smoothly with

my credit score was high with the ship management. Their assistant manager of

housekeeping, Apolonio a fine gentleman, came up to the Garden Café to meet

me upon a pass on request from Nigel of the restaurant manager. We chat about

the Cebu Islands where my former professor Liu’s hometown. Mr. Liu was a friend

of my father in the 60’s in Taiwan and came to visit me at Taiwan Normal to deliver

several lectures of Buddhism. He went to school at Amoy University, a private institute

financed by a successful Chinese Filipino Chin and a public university now in Amoy, China.

He told me that with his family’s background, he helped to build several Buddhist high

Schools and at least a Buddhist college in Cebu. I was attempted to go over there at that

time in order to leave Taiwan yet I lost contact with him when I finished my army service.

I was very closed at Quemoy frontier about 4 kilometers away from Amoy, China. If I

have an opportunity to visit Philippine, I like to visit his hometown. He became a Buddhist

monk and moved to Singapore to be a head monk of a temple until his death in 1993.

I just google it that his Filipino name is William Correa.

Again, we were all waiting for their coming at 9:00 pm on the dinner date, hostess, waitress

, manager, and myself. Like the Cinderella story, both daughters wore lovely civilian dresses

and appeared very happy. Zimih, a Burmese waitress and my daughter on board, helped us

to take photo. Angelica and I ordered steaks while Ani, just out of cold, ordered chicken yet

both of us gave small pieces of our steaks to her. Mine was a special Angus while Angelica’s

was a full T-bone which she couldn’t finish like those two at Cagney’s. They didn’t drink and

I almost sang a Japanese nursey rhyme Momotaro san, the peach boy to them after finish

that bottle of champagne. I have found so much happiness to think of this cruise experience.

Ani’s boyfriend, a bartender, was passing by approaching the restaurant window with a big

smile.

After the dinner, Angelica was switched to Bliss, a big bar and Ani was on deck 7 atrium duty.

I saw Ani quite often and had had opportunity to chat about dogs, our mutual favorite pet

story. I missed my dog friends at home.