#1) Party night with Choy never happened. 3p there witnessed a flurry of activity in the mayors office. As it turned out we were being visited by "Miss World Tourism Philippines" and guess what? She's from Lagonoy! Young ladies from all over the country vied for this prestigious award and looks like a local gal took home gold! Everyone was so excited because she was returning to Lagonoy for the first time since winning the crown. Well, this ended up taking hours and hours to complete. First there was the parade around town... then there were speeches upon speeches and awards upon awards.... everyone wanted in on the action, and Miss World Tourism? I think she handled it all like a pro. Before becoming a model (for that is what she will be from now on) she was actually an RN!
Anyway... thats me with the shit eating grin on my face next to her....
So since all this went down, both Choy and I figured that it was just getting too late for a plunge into the Ginebra, so we tabled it for some time in the future. Thats Choy in the other pics, btw. Handsome fella!
#2) the trip to Naga to meet my Aussie friends: This DID happen! Had a great lunch with them and then did a little shopping at the mall. An unexpected twist however.... Michael is aussie, but his partner Jerry, is filipino. Michael is into his volunteer gig about 1.5 years and met Jerry somehow and so they're a pair. We had PIZZA (yum!) and talked about everything under the sun. Great fun, but no beer! They've invited me back for perhaps a weekend night. Apparently, Michael has a spare guest bedroom (imagine!). I m def going to take him up on that as Naga is actually a pretty hip city. Good eats!.. I actually found a Starbucks and had my first espresso in a long time! Also had to have a cappuccino as well! Last night was early to bed after the 2 hr bus ride back home.
#3) the picnic to the offshore island never happened. I knew at the outset that the cost for the boat was going to be on me, but what I didn't realize is that it costs 1500 pesos for the days rental! I was expecting half that much and would have gone as high as 1000p but he would only go down to 1200p So, sadly we bailed on the idea as I had an idea I was getting pinched. Maybe another day... So, now Im home doing some laundry by hand and watching megashare on the internet. Oh, and just learned that the Noles took down Notre Dame... Life is GOOD!
OK.. you know how I love to add some observations to my ramblings about my 'day in a life'
Well, here's something: While I was waiting for Michael and Jerry, I stopped in a McDonalds bc there were three things there I wanted: A/C, a chair and a burger. More than the "chicken and rice" option on the menu, I was surprised mostly by the security guard. You know how a lot of places have a security guard who just stands there acting bored? Well, this security guard never stopped working. Yes, he had a gun and was in uniform, but that didn't stop him from bussing tables whenever he saw trash on tables, and bagging up the trash when he saw the bins full. He even had this umbrella, and whenever someone was leaving the place, assuming they didn't have their own, he would walk them to their motorcycle. He would open the door for people entering and leaving... it was really a show. Once there was someone in the parking lot having some difficulty parking (tiny lot), so my man rushed right out there and, with his whistle, began directing the hapless driver on which way to move the steering wheel. Class act. By the way, my burger tasted exactly the same as it does in the US.
Oh, did you know that they have something here called, "McDelivery"? Thats right, 24/7 mickey-dees to your door!
Oh, that last picture is of a couple of local "gals" who live down the street. Ive danced with them both, thank you.
You look so young Dan. You are getting so skinny. Love your blogs.
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