August 6, 2008
Important Information Upon Arrival at the Queen Mary
1. Registration Procedures:
A. First, register with the Queen Mary Hotel if you have reservations at the QM; and ask which DECK your room is on. We would like to know which room you are staying in case of emergency.
B. Then, register with the Alaala Registration Team, one level up from the QM Hotel Registration desk - at the Mezzanine floor at the Aquitania Room. Alaala registration is open from 2:00pm to 6:00pm Thurs, Fri & Sat. at the Aquitania Room (We strongly suggest you register from 2pm to 6pm to avoid long lines at the activity venues) and from 6:00pm onwards at the different venues. You should tell us at this time which room you are staying in; and also get the following: your ID badge which you will need to enter or re-enter any of the activity venues, souvenir bag that contains a guidebook about the schedule and locations of our activities for you, a free Alaala T-shirt if you registered before July 31st (sizes are limited; first come, first serve basis) and other goodies.
2. Location of Evening Venues (Starting from the Hotel Registration Desk)
8/14/08 - Thursday
6:30 pm – Welcome Dinner at the Britannia Room
(From the Hotel Registration desk, go up to “M” deck or Main Level, go to the port side and head towards the stern - back of the ship - through a long hallway.)
8/15/08 - Friday
6:30 pm – Kambingan At Lakambingan at the Queen Salon
(From the Hotel Registration desk, go up to the Promenade deck, go to the port side and head towards the stern.)
8/16/08 - Saturday
Plenary Sessions at the Royal Salon
- Royal Salon is adjacent to the Queen Salon)
9:00 am – 11:00am Sigma Delta Plenary Session
10:30 am – Brunch
11:30 am – Bank of America and Gawad Kalinga presentation
1:00 pm – 3pm Upsilon Sigma Phi Plenary Session
6:30 pm – Grand Ball at the Grand Salon
(From the Hotel Registration desk, go down two (2) decks. To the “R” deck and towards the stern)
3. For other questions, you can call our “concierge” phone starting today
At: +1-310-993-3083
The ALAALA Sa LA 2008 Logistics and Registration Team
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July 1, 2008
A. Alaala Registration Fees Maintained - BUT must be received by July 31, 2008
B. Alaala Tennis Invitational – August 15, 2008
C. ALA-ALA SA L.A. – A world-class reunion not to be missed!
A. Alaala Registration Fees Maintained - BUT must be received by July 31, 2008
Brods and sisters,
We would like to thank all of you who registered on or before the June 15 Early-bird deadline. We now have 232 brods, sisters and guests who are registered (and who will receive a free Alaala T-shirt).
The ultimate goal of hosting Alaala has always been to attract the most number of brods and sis to Southern California and reward them with the best experience from this region of the world. The objective of turning a profit is the least important of our goals. In this spirit, we would like to announce that we will maintain the current registration fees of $250.00 for brod or sis not residing in the Philippines, and $150.00 for Philippine-based brods and sisters.
However, if (A) you have NOT registered yet but are definitely attending, and (B) for a spouse or significant other NOT registered but will only attend the Saturday ball ($100), WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT BY JULY 31, 2008.
Otherwise we cannot guarantee you dinner – contractual obligations with The Queen Mary Catering Dept. require us to give them a headcount for dinner on all 3 days. In addition we need to have your registration IDs ready. IDs are necessary to attend all functions at the hotel. Please understand that if you show up at the last minute, you may fall OUTSIDE our best projections.
Please write check to Alaala Sa L.A./Upsilon Sigma Phi and mail to:
Butch Hocson '75
13941 Norton Avenue, Unit D
Chino, CA 91710, USA
Chino Consunji '83 cannot receive checks in July as he will be vacationing in the Philippines.
Our best wishes for a safe journey to Long Beach to all of you!
For the Alaala Sa LA 2008 organizers,
Bim Javier '65
B. AlaAla Tennis Invitational
The tennis courts for the Ala-Ala TENNIS INVITATIONAL has been reserved for August 15, 2008 - 8:00 to 10:00 AM. The brod and sis in charge of this event is Junie Lazo ‘75 and Marcy Sievert ‘83.
Below is a website link if you folks are interested to know more about the place.
http://www.longbeach.gov/park/facilities/parks/el_dorado_tennis_center.asp
C. ALA-ALA SA L.A. – A world-class reunion not to be missed!
“Tambay-Tagay sa L.A.” and “All the Way sa L.A.” were some of the very first slogans that were suggested as the organizing committee was setting up its structure. Obviously, the brods and sisters were looking forward to a never-ending re-telling of classic Upsilon and Sigma Delta stories about initiations, rumbles, hobo parties, rehearsals and staging of countless productions, along with the romances that bloomed along the way.
Yes, a lot of beautiful memories…memories that are forever etched in our hearts and mind, thus the choice to call our grand reunion --- “Ala-ala sa L.A” --- a very appropriate slogan coined by sis Melvin Hidalgo ’55.
Ala-ala sa L.A. World Grand Reunion will be held on August 14, 15 & 16, 2008 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. A 3-day, 3 night extravaganza of fun, food, entertainment along with all the booze, kwentuhan and kantyawan!
With just a little over 100 days before all of us converge at the historic Queen Mary in scenic Long Beach, the organizing committee can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for this Grand Reunion that will surely become an unforgettable one. Talagang Maaala-ala mo siya!
From the time you register on Thursday, you can walk around the various levels of the Queen Mary and hang-out with everyone. There is a hospitality suite that offers light food & Beverage service from 10am to 6pm.
The welcome night to be held at the Veranda Grill that has overview of the scenic Long Beach shoreline begins at 7pm. A carving station serving Prime Rib, Roast Calf and a sumptuous array of hors d’oeuvres will be available along with Margarita Service for all.
Top-notch Jazz players have been invited to provide entertainment and the brods and sis are welcome to jam with them.
Friday activities will begin with the Ala-ala Memorial Golf Tournament held at the El Dorado Golf Course with a $25,000 Cash Prize in store to anyone who makes a hole-in-one in a designated hole during the tourney. Other prizes and surprises will be at stake for all participants.
Those who will not be playing golf will have the option to either have a free admission ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific or to any of the 3 guided tours of the Queen Mary. Optional tours include shopping trips to Carlsbad Outlet Stores or a 2-hour Harbor Cruise.
In the evening, we will have a Hawaiian Luau-themed Kambingan Night. Aside from ‘kambing” dishes such as pinapaitan, kilawin and kalderera, we will also be serving lechon and other Hawaiian-inspired dishes. Direk Maning Rivera will host our very first Kambingan Idol where brods and sisters will be competing not only for the bragging rights of becoming the very first Kambingan Idol title, but a surprise substantial Grand Prize will also be awarded the winner. Indeed, a time for anyone to show off his or her talent in singing, stand-up comedy, dancing or whatever that will surely gain the applause and amusement of everybody. As of now, the secrecy behind the choice of the three judges who will play the roles of Simon, Paula and Randy is so tightly guarded, nobody knows who they will be.
A Polynesian Magic show featuring a Magic Castle professional performer will be the featured entertainment for the evening.
The sisters will have their mini congress at 9am till 12nn as a tapa, tosino, longanisa and daing brunch buffet is served with garlic fried rice and tomato and onions omelet while the brods will have theirs at 1pm till 4pm. Silent Auction items will be displayed in the congress room for brods and sisters to bid on.
An elaborate multi-media presentation featuring vintage photographs and videos while the famous Saringhimig Singers along with a number of brods and sisters will sing favorite Upsilon and Sigma Delta traditional songs, plus hit songs from musicales produced by the fraternity and the sorority in last 90 years.
There will a lot of dancing and merry-making throughout the evening as each and everyone will be dressed to impress.
Ala-ala sa L.A. World Grand Reunion – an event you must not miss!