The weekend that was

I up and went to get me my break for the weekend. Last Saturday, I left my car home and commuted to school with a large backpack. After the class, I rushed over to Muelle Loney to catch the last boat for Bacolod. The week before, I had coffee with a dearly missed friend Maui, and she offered her place for me to crash in for the weekend, and I seriously needed a break, so I up and went there. I really didn't have much expectations with MassKara because this aint the first time I am witnessing it. I know it's not as fantabulous or as smashing as Dinagyang (of course!) but a change of scene is a change of scene...It's just that, for a much prepped and hyped up event, the whole experience was sucky for me, except for some fair share of blasts, of course.

When I disembarked from the boat, I went and got a tricycle ride from the Bacolod pier. As I sat at the 'backride' with the driver I was reminded me of the earlier posted Habal habal poem. Too bad, the driver was unpalatably unpoetical and sour smelling, which killed all the poetry in me. Ughk! For a saturday night, an a Festival 'pre-night', the crowds weren't as thick as I expected it to be, and at the epicenter of the festivities at that; which is the Bacolod Plaza.

Ze Maui!

I got me a jeep towards Robinson's Mandalagan, where Maui and I are supposed to meet. She has been working in Bacolod for three months and her place is near Robinson's, so it was a perfect place to meet up. She oriented me that she had a birthday party to attend, and she was tagging me along, and then later on, to a big party at North in Talisay. I had no complaints because I really intended the whole of Saturday to be "us" time with her, so I was willingly 'kaladkarin' the whole night.

SUCKY THING #1: Cellphone signal in Bacolod was terrible! When I was already in Robinson's I was quite apprehensive since I am getting no texts from Maui, only to be barraged by a batch of late texts from her and most of the people I told that I was visiting. How irritating. Add to this, the fact that when I got up to Bob's at the 3rd level, where I know coffee being served at a smoking area, the shop was no longer serving coffee as it was near closing time.. bummer!

Finally, Maui arrived with a guy friend, whom I recognized as someone two batches ahead of ours when I was in USLS-IS, way back '92-'93. I was told he is now a physician, and is the company doctor at Maui's work. So we got to Maui's place and quickly freshened up, to go to the birthday bash. We stayed there for a while, 'twas okay, the usual intimate chuchu, then we up and went to North where a big event was supposed to be in full swing. I had high hopes for the party since it was organized by a big cigarette brand, and it sounded kinda 'sos, to be held somewhere way beyond city limits. But no!

Club North in Talisay

SUCKY THING #2

The party sucked! There were so many people there, hot and not, cute and acute, but the party was just so F-cking boring! People come in, turn, turn, turn, and go out. No one was dancing, no one was grooving. Just groups of people clustered and milling about. Errr... We decided to get the hell outta there and go to Lacson Street, where the supposed 'street party' was.

Bracelet from the organizers reminiscent of Punta Villa swimming bracelets! Tacky!

We ended up eating at Red Moon in Sorrento Square. The food was great, but we couldn't help continuing with the bitching and the spoiled evening. We got home at around 3 AM all disappointed. As Maui puts it "This sucks! No one was dancing, no one was flirting, no one was kissing, no one was doing no nothing! F*ck! And this is supposed to be a big thing on a big festival night! WTF! I couldn't imagine how normal weekends are, at this rate! In Iloilo, at this time of the night/day, lotsa lives are being created already! For crying out loud, there is more use to those beautiful faces than just preen and be stared at!" I share her sentiments.

SUCKY THING #3 While we we're at Sorrento, I suddenly saw a long time ex. He is from Iloilo, so I was surprised to see him, after a very long time, of all places, in Bacolod! After he suddenly 'disappeared', this is the first time I saw him again. I played it cool. He rushed to me, grabbed my hand in a warm swooping handshake, pulled me off my seat, hugged me, and wouldn't let go, all the while, whispering sorry sorry sorry in my ears. Well, it felt good, I must admit, but my head wanted to explode (the upper one, dear) with thoughts that came a-rushing!
F*ck, f*ck, f*ck! Why do I like him hugging me? I should feel repulsed, what with him f*cking things over? He was all over me in that very public place, and profusely apologizing and saying how much he missed me, so I said, what the heck! Go for broke! I said " You missed me?" He said "yeah, so much!" I said: "You sure?" He said "Yeah! really!" Then I said, okay! Then I broke free from his bear hug grip, grabbed his face and kissed him right there. Not just kissed him; literally sucked face! After a long torrid display, I checked my pulse, wiped the excess fluids and said. Look, your friends are waiting for you to go inside. Be a good boy now and go. That was when I know I am right with my policy not to be friends with exes!

The next day I woke up around 11, and decided to grab lunch and meet people I'm supposed to be meeting up. Actually there weren't a lot of them, really. There was this other friend who also works in Bacolod now, this long-time chatter friend, some law school buds, another blogger friend, and a long time chatter/crush. Well, as responsible and dependable future lawyers, I met my law buds for lunch. It was the usual banter and good old 'catch up' time, but I understand why we had to cut things short. We all had lives to live... Practice being busy for the real thing... Chenelyn!

Sucky Thing #4 Other friend is off the charts now as he is his usual "alibi" mode, and I know it won't be getting anywhere. The old time friend is also off the charts as he wasn't proposing a solid plan of action with any meet up, so kaput! I am not one to beg for an audience! Haller! Its as if I am in Bacolod everyday! Such inconsiderate nincompoops!

Chatter crush wants to meet by 2PM. Sounds good. But after an hour or so while having coffee...

Sucky Thing #5 He said he is still doing grocery in another mall, and to make the long story short, I never met him. Even if he kept texting later that night where I was, I did not dignify those with a decent reply. Do not play hard to get with me. I get tired easily and I am not the one to pursue you. My having a crush with you has nothing to do with me playing tag or master-slave with you. I have better things to do with my life, such as sip coffee and drown in my thoughts, go to an arcade and play dance revo while kids swarm about, or take walks all on my own. I don't mind being alone. Im in good company!



After a few miscommunication because of the delayed text, I finally met up with blogger friend Okrayero, and it was a swell night from there onward. We had coffee at SM, strolled around the city, ate at the famous Manokan Country, danced the night Ala street baile at the plaza watched the end part of Parokya ni Edgar's gig at Lacson, had profound eklat talks at the Bacolod Lagoon, and capped the night with an 80's/Retro music dance back at Sorrento.

It wasn't a total blast but it had its moment. I thank Okrayero for keeping me company. He kept asking if I enjoyed, and apologized if his presence kept me from hooking up with those whom I check out and vice-versa. I told him, if I wanna hook up, I would have told you! I'm not the type who stops himself from going for it, for the right person. Unfortunately, there are none. They wear pretty masks and nice little faces and packages, but none excited me beyond that. I'm not your 'hook-up for the sake of hooking-up' kind of guy!


The next day, I woke up at around 11:00 courtesy of Maui. I had a few sticks of cigarette, packed up, and bid her goodbye to go back to Iloilo. On my way, I picked my favorite Bacolod Confection "Dulce Gatas" at Pendy's along Lacson Street. I love that creamy, yema-like, pastillas-like, caramelly sweet delicacy from Silay! Although they are a bit expensive at Php270 for the biggest tub, I bought two large tubs to add to the one a friend brought for me earlier last week! I adore these!

After almost missing my boat, I got back to Iloilo, straight to school for my Final Exams In Civil Law Review PartI, and got the best news after all the shitty things I endured! Exams are postponed and moved tomorrow! Yeah! More time to study...errr...cram! Geez!