Manila Misadventures

So there I was, back in Manila, and whoa, did the days bring it on.
As I said in a previous entry, I was working for a whole week. But, don’t none of you worry, I still got to get some down-and-dirty fun. Haha. The pollution, the dead skin cells, the dirty drivers, I mean.

ON GAS AND CABS
Everywhere I went, I took cabs, except for two times -- once, when I braved the trusty old bus, and the other time, when my sister and I went over to her pad via the swanky old jeepney. And, as luck would have it, I came home right after a series of taxi hold-ups where the accomplice would jump out of the trunk into the backseat and rob you at knife/gunpoint. But, as you also know, it’s never easy to get a cab going to Makati, so I couldn’t really be choosy. My strategy – keep the cab driver talking, and if he sounds suspicious, ask to be dropped off ASAP. Maybe the gods were on my side (or maybe I looked to normal to be rich enough to rob) so I always got to my destinations safely. Amidst traffic, taxi drivers and I mostly talked about the gas price increase. Ha Ha Ha. Apparently, it has gone up seven times since the election was over. Darnnit! Talk about politics and bad government. Grrr. So, as you can guess, I always gave them 20-30 pesos extra. Imagine, base fare was still P25 (the same as when I left) while 1 liter of gas went up to P27. Ridiculous! Besides, the extra was my thanks and sigh of relief that I got to my destination safe and sound. Haha.

MISADVENTURE #1
I was meeting a girlfriend at 10pm Monday night, after work. I got off work at exactly 945 pm. And figured, well hey, no traffic, I’ll be there in 15 minutes. She said she was at the new Ortigas Metro Walk (? I’m not even sure this was the actual name of the new ‘hot place in town’..). I didn’t know where that was, and she said, it’s just on Meralco Ave., and for me to ‘ask the cab driver to take a right on Meralco, coming from Shaw Blvd.’ I told the driver, and we were on our way, from Makati. On the way, I was looking for the hand lotion-slash-sanitizer in my itty-bitty-bag. Suddenly, I felt we were going uphill. Uphill on Meralco Ave? What?! I looked up and we were ramping up some flyover. I sat up straight, and asked the cab driver, ’Manong, manong, nasa papuntang Cainta na po ba tayo?’ The cab driver looked at me through the rearview mirror like I was wacko, then said, ‘Dun mo ba gusto dumaan?’. I looked quickly back at the flyover, at which time we were already on the highest point, going down, and I could see the towering Merlaco building at the end of the street. ‘Ay, sorry po, manong,’ I quickly said and laughed. I explained I had been gone around 6 months, and that the flyover wasn’t there when I left. So, yes, there is a new flyover in --- of all places --- Meralco Ave.

MISADVENTURE #2
Went to the bank to deposit my hard-earned cashish one early morning on my first week. And when I say early, it was 10 am (hey, I wasn’t expected in the office til after lunch :P ). Anyway, this was also when I took the bus, only because my dad dropped me off right on EDSA where it was easier to get a bus than a cab. So I bussed along and got to Makati. Whew, dead skin cells (eeww) shrugged away. But before this, I had pleaded with my dad to hitch me a ride to EDSA from the village (less walking for me haha), and he said yes only because I looked cute (okay, this part is not true). Anyway, he was rushing to get to a meeting in Ortigas, but I needed to pee, and so I rushed to the bathroom, sat my ass down, peed, and rushed back very quickly down the stairs into the car. So anyway, jump forward to the bank where I deposited my chi-ching cashish. Take note that at this time, I was still wearing my shades because of the infection (see NY in Shades post if you need elaboration), and so as I finished my transaction, I stood up, put my shades back on (I felt it was very impolite to talk to the bank person with my shades on…baka feeling nya masyado akong feeling hahaha), and left. As I walked out the door, manong guard was smiling at me. Polite. As I walked down Paseo, I noticed people were still looking at me. Bawal na ba magshades ngayon? Even girls were staring at me. Oh no! It could only have been one thing. I slowly ‘pa-simple style’ felt my lower belly for the zipper, and my ears started getting red from the dismay. My friggin’ fly was open! I quickly zipped it up and acted as if nothing was amiss. And then I descended the Paseo underpass and started chuckling to myself. I was on my way to Glorietta. Thank God I found out before I got there! It would have been at least one very slow kilometer of walking…Hahahaha. If you were a girl and a guy walking by has his fly open, would you tell them? How did she see it? Was she checking out the bulge in my pants? I can hear guys’ voices in their heads right now. Hahaha.

MISADVENTURE(?) #3
Watering Hole is a nice bar to go to when I just wanna go out and drink and have small-time fun with a few close friends. So on Tuesday of my second week, a coworker-close friend (let’s call him E) and I met to shop at Greenhills (yes he skipped work. And yes, it’s a he. A very VERY metrosexual friend hahaha) and decided, while having dinner, to head to watering Hole for a nightcap, and possibly, some cute eye-candy (eye-candy lang, sus hehe). We got there, but then I realized my mistake. Because this was unplanned, I was wearing my todo-all-out-sopping-to-the-max-garb --- a blue jersey top, gray casual jogging pants, and blue sneakers. And the clincher --- a blue umbrella (yes, it was drizzling that day when we headed out). E was laughing at our attire. He was very formal (office attire ‘cause he came from an interview in the morning, before meeting up with me), and I was waaaaaaay too casual, almost pampalengke style. Add to that that I was lugging along 2 shopping bags AND an umbrella. Dyahe. Jologs sobra, he said. I laughed right along with him, but then thought, at least we were comfortable with what we were wearing. Mentos moment, odiva!
But no! The gods did not seem to agree with me that night, because as soon as I went to the bathroom to freshen up, I saw Dolly Ann Carvajal, a filipino semi(?)celeb (daughter of Inday Badiday, you fools wahahaha), powdering up. And then I noticed the cameramen outside. Oh no! It was her birthday bash. At Watering Hole. Bad timinig! Then came the guests in full gimik garb. A lot of starlets we didn’t know, but then Nyoy Violante came, and then Niña (oh I just love her voice ha!), then True Faith, and Ogie Alcasid, and Cesar Montano, Sunshine Cruz, Ronnie Raymundo, and Megan Aguilar. Yikes. By this time, I had sent my sister SMS messages pleading for her to come over and bring me some decent gimik clothes. And she did. And I changed. And the whole world was right again. But for a few minutes, and maybe a few secs of airtime, you can see me looking like a labandera, shunning the light. Yes, that was me, at the corner table beside the stairs, with 2 women, and a guy, trying to shun out the light, and cover our faces in embarrassment. Mooohahahaha.

Okay, enough misadventures for one day. Coming up (when I find the time and inspiration again) I will tell you some other stories/adventures…and maybe share some pics too. Adios Amigos!