Astoria Plaza, Ortigas

"Chances are we'll find two destinations."

- Five for Fighting

I stopped giving out second chances like free candy treats you get during Halloween. Chances aren’t cheap. They should be worth something special like delicious black tiger prawns or an overnight stay with good high school friends in a homey suite overlooking the city.

Hot chocolate

Assorted bread

Salmon carbonara

Black tiger prawns

Red pasta side dish 

Green tea cake

I enjoyed our four-movie marathon (although I already fell asleep halfway the second movie), sunset watching and pigging out!

Thanks Nes for this Halloween (trick and) treat!

Tell me who your friends are...

This re-post is lovingly dedicated to all of my friends

May iba’t-ibang klase ng kaibigan:

childhood friend. Ang nakakakilala sa iyo noong uhugin ka pa. Ang kasama mo maligo sa ulan, sa ilog, sa drum. Ang niyayaya mong pumapak ng Milo, Nido o Maggie Noodles in its raw form. Ang taong nakaaway mo man, pero the next minute, friends na uli kayo. In short sya yung living repository ng earliest life history mo.

barkada. Usually composed of more than two members, a barkada could be your batchmates, schoolmates, neighbors, o kainuman sa kanto. Sila ang mga taong for life na ang inyong samahan, dahil marami na kayong pinagdaanan sa buhay in good and bad times. Sila ang gusto mo kasama pag gigimik, pag mag wi-window shopping, o gagawa ng kabalastugan. Ang takbuhan mo pag-nababad-trip ka sa bahay o sa buhay. Kumbaga your barkada is your second family, your kindred souls.

special-interest friend. Regardless of your status in life, friends kayo dahil you share the same interest, hobby or passion. Halimbawa your tennis or dota friends.

friend of a friend. When you become a friend to someone, sometimes you also end up being friends with some of his or her loved ones. Ang boyfriend or girlfriend nya, kailangan isama mo na rin sa iyong circle of friends, like it’s mandatory or pakitang tao lang.

accidental friend. Sila yung naging kaibigan mo by chance, accident or serendipity. Like one day may makikilala kang kapangalang-kapangalan mo. E di instant bonding kayo kaagad.

bine-friend. Minsan sa buhay nakakagawa ka ng medyo di kaaya-aya. Dahil medyo malapit sya sa mailap mong crush, gagawa ka ng paraan para maging kaibigan sya. Hoping maging tulay. Bine-friend mo kasi meron kang motibo.

weather-weather friend. Kung sunny ang weather, friends kayo. Pero kung bagyo na, break na kayo. Siya yung kaibigan mo lang sa oras ng kasiyahan.

friend with benefits. Medyo may masamang connotation ito dahil kaibigan mo sya because his or her friendship comes with perks and benefits like free lunch, free car ride, free anything. Basically, it’s a kind of friendship that sprouted out of selfish reasons.

seasonal friend. Eto yung naging friend mo dahil nagsama kayo ng isang semester sa klase, sa isang dormitory or boarding house, sa isang month-long na training, o sa isang project or assignment. Naging magkaibigan lang kayo for a certain season in your life.

two-face. Akala mo kaibigan mo siya. Pag-kaharap lang pala. Behind your back sinasaksak ka nya.

cyber friend. Frustrated ka with life. Nasa weltanschauung phase ka ng iyong buhay. Nag-log-in ka sa world wide web. Nagkaroon ka ng chatmate, ewan pero marami kang friend requests from strangers, may blogger kang fina-follow everyday… sila ang iyong cyber friends. Kasama rin dito ang mga first time mo lang na-meet through Friendster, Facebook, Twitter, Multiply, Blogger, Flixster, Flickr, Wordpress, Hi5 at kung anu-ano pang social networking sites.

pen pal/ phone pal/ text mate. Naging friend mo dahil good mood or bored ka nung mga sandaling naka-receive ka ng isang anonymous (or pretending to be anonymous) call, text, or letter from someone (which could be a stranger or stalker) wishing na maging kaibigan ka. Buti na lang mapagbigay ka.

special friend. Ang favouritism hindi lang uso sa bahay… pati sa pagkakaibigan nangyayari rin yan. Kung ang friendship ay maihahambing sa halo-halo, karamihan dyan regular… at more or less may isa dyang mako-consider mong special. May ice cream at cherry topping.

confidante. Ang sumbungan mo ng iyong angsts, fears, and dreams. Ang iyong adviser sa buhay. Sya lang ang pinagkakatiwalaan mong humawak ng susi sa mga di- kaaya-aya at top secrets mo in life. He or she could be anyone but not necessarily your bestfriend, kasi minsan pag-nag-away kayo ng best friend mo, sa confidante mo lang ikaw tatakbo, mag-ngangangawa, mag-papa-comfort, at hihingi ng payo.

best friend. Ang taong laging kadikit mo. Partner in crime. Could be your soulmate. Could be your total opposite. Para mo na ring kapatid. Ang nakakatampuhan ng matagal. Ang taong nakakapagtiyaga sa ugali mo at kayang sakyan ang trip mo. Ang natatawagan mo dis-oras ng gabi. At kahit malayo man kayo sa isa’t-isa, kahit kailan hindi nag-didiminish ang love nyo sa isa’t-isa. It’s like you have your own world na kayong dalawa lang ang tao. The one who has the courage to point out all your mistakes and faults. The one who sits by your side in times of happiness and sadness. The one who truly accepts and loves you for everything that you are and you are not. Practically the person who knows, if not all, then almost everything about you. The best friend is your mirror… and may be the little bit of all the kinds of friends that you have. At higit sa lahat, ang natatanging taong pag-aalayan mo lang ng kantang “If I had only one friend left, I’d want it to be you.”

Masaya magkaroon ng kaibigan. Mas masarap mabuhay kung alam mong hindi ka nag-iisa sa iyong paglalakbay. At some point in my life, natagpuan ko halos lahat ng klase ng mga kaibigang ito. Ikaw… masaya ako at natagpuan kita.

Everyone has three lives

A public life. private life. A secret life.

Lolo Dad's and the Perks of Having a Best Friend

1. Having someone who can stand you.

2. A shoulder to lean on.

3. Discounted degustacion lunch at Lolo Dad’s.

Nage of blue crab and scallops jelly with lobster sandwich

caper berry aioli and micro greens

Hot sea bass sardine with Moluga caviar marinated radish and cracker

Sous vide of duck breast and seared foie gras with chocolate ganache

Sorbet

Roast lamb rack and wagyu beef slab smoked bone marrow butter

(Did I just eat bone marrow? Holy cow!)

Gratinated Chev's brie cheese with beets, peaches and light goat cheese mousse

Almond nut sponge with coffee butter cream and vanilla almond ice cream

Lolo Dad’s – Minimalist interior style. Relaxing garden setting. To die for caviar and foie gras. A place of extreme, intense, great gustatory adventure.

Bucket list no. 5. Check.

PS.

Don’t forget to bring lots of cash. Lots and lots of it. For this lunch, Kuri paid 6k+. Just digest and picture out this information with me fainting in the background.

Lolo Dad’s Cafe

#899 Pres. Qurino Ave. cor.

Leon Guinto St., Malate, Manila

Tel. No.: 522-2941, 524-2295, 526-7151

My Three Golden Rules on Friendship

Just in case one day, we become friends, just remember three simple things:

First. Don’t ever make me feel alone, all by myself. Most especially if you’re there, if you are near, if you are just around the corner.

Second. I won’t mind if you don’t tell me everything. Just don’t lie to me. But in case you did, give me one very good reason to forgive you.

Third. If you done me wrong. A simple sorry will do. If you have a hard time saying sorry, a bribe or a piece of chocolate is acceptable.

I don’t want to harbour anger. I just want to give love, the most beautiful thing life could offer.

I already forgave you. A long time ago.

In Memory of Ron

Ronald Lay
One friendJune 1980 – June 2006

I never properly said goodbye to Ron. He told me once while he was hospitalized “The doctor said I might die anytime.” I said “Don’t kid me. You’ll get well.” It was my way of evading the discussion on facing mortality. Like the way we had snubbed each other the first time we met. We never really were in good terms because he snapped at me once for laughing with Manny while he was lecturing on computer programs.

And so every time we passed each other, our nostrils and eyebrows start to get bellicose. How the elevator seem to get smaller and deafeningly silent when we were riding in it together. To put everything in three words - we don’t talk. Yeah, we don’t really like each other that much. And heaven knows if we will ever be friends. Until one fine day. After he recovered from his pulmonary illness, I got the chance to talk with him. I said “You would recuperate faster if you take a long-month vacation. Go to Banaue and enjoy its beautiful scenery.” So it just started there. And every time I visited the MIS Office, he would jocosely say “You’re messing and disturbing us again!” or “Why do you miss us that much!”

In one of our office testimonial sharing, he told us to take care of our health because “it’s precious”. He had difficulty breathing then. He was hospitalized several times and was diagnosed with complications in his blood and brain. I felt sorry now that I had only visited him once for the many times he had been to different hospitals around the Metro. I was in Cabugao watching sunset, when I got a text message from Cheng “We’re here at the hospital, about to donate blood for Ron.” A week later he called and I immediately said “Sorry I wasn’t able to visit you and donate some blood.” He said “Ows you would do that for me?” I said laughing “Even though I am afraid of needles, I would gladly do it for you. I heard it makes you healthy and look good. You know I would do anything to look good no matter what it takes!”

It was the last time I heard him laugh. When he was still alive, he often complains. He told me “There was a point in my life, that I blamed almost everybody for what happened to me.” It was at this moment that I empathized with him. He was young. Athletic. Conservative. Computer genius. Without vice. Good son. And he had cats he loved more than anything inhuman-like in this world. He had dreams he will now never fulfill. How can you do everything you wanted in this life when you can barely stand up, face the world and start to lose the one thread that keeps you going - hope?

During our office’s 26th anniversary, he called really upset that he was not permitted by his mom to go to the party. A week later, he celebrated his 26th birthday with us. I swear I almost balked out of the room when I saw him. He was in a wheelchair and was twice as lanky as I am. I could see his body slowly shrinking. His family was with him and everybody was in a festive mood or trying to be, well maybe except for Ron who later complained to his Mom that we were all so annoyingly noisy. When I asked him “What’s your favorite song? We’ll sing it for you.” His head just turned left and right. I could feel he was really tired, unhappy. And If I had known that this would be the last birthday he’s going to celebrate with us, then I wish I had personally thanked him for being my friend. Even in his deathbed, we weren’t able to bid Ron farewell. When we arrived at the hospital, the doctors were hopelessly reviving him. His heart was no longer beating. Everybody was crying. His mom kept saying “God just another month please. Don’t take him away yet.”

I shed a tear that day. Despite the loss, I thanked God he took away all of Ron’s suffering. Ron was cremated, just as he wished. We got to see his baby pictures during his wake. He was really a clown. And though he’s on the other side now, I still hold on to things he left me - a cute blue shirt (which I asked during our last Christmas party) and two must-do’s in this lifetime (important things he wished he had done while he still had the chance): buy a piece of land and do everything good you want.

I know the bitterest tears shed over graves are for regrets brought about by letting go without having the chance to tell everything to someone. Farewell my friend. I am sorry. Thank you.