Manila polo club and that thing you do

I had to get something in Pangasinan, some 5 hour ride away from Manila. Since I had nothing left to do, I packed my bag, wore my mojo slippers and headed off towards the nearest bus station to spend two days there.

You going alone? My big sister asked me.

Yeah I am. I told her as i was packing my concept of bare necessities.

Why don't you just wait until someone plans to drive up there? I won't ride the bus, especially alone. She said.

Yeah well I've managed to commute all the way to Sagada. This would be nothing.

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I love travelling by myself. Or maybe with one or two friends. The fact that when you are alone you could never be "left behind" is great. I could go down wherever i want, be left by the bus and not worry about looking after anyone. Tipid sa text. Of course i couldn't blame anyone if they do fuss sometimes about me. I have a knack for finding myself on weird situations... like
nearly drowning on the open seas...

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On my second day I ate lounch at my cousin's in-laws. I met their daughter in michigan and it was nice to see where ate michelle came from. They cook up a storm and i was stuffed. So much for tae bo.
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The next morning we headed off to the mall which sells this brand of nail polish called "mwah" and they were available in the following colors:

sam milky, johnny deepred, john lloyd blues, orlando blues, diether ocopper, antonio lavanderas... hilarious i tell you.

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Another night, i met up with my long lost ninong, whom i havent seen for 26 years. He was a self made man, a rags to riches kind of person. Impressive how he got himself from driver to local millionaire. He invited me out for dinner. Actually it was a feast. Crabs, barbeques, inihaw, sinigang, etc. He brought his son with him, a very young and popular politician who was gunning for a higher position this may. First thing my ninong told me when I met him was "ah! bagay kayo ng anak ko! 29 lang yan.. Ilang taon ka na ba?" And half of the conversation was about him raving about me and his son getting married, the other half was about how i should try the different foods. Dios ko po. Princess hours ito. Now i know the feeling of arranged marriages. I was turning pink, and i gather that his son was also getting embarassed. In jest i told my ninong, sige po next week na lang yung kasal kasi may gagawin pa po ako sa sunday e. To which he replied, ay sige... ay di pala pwede this year kasi ikakasal yung isa kong anak, next year na lang...

HAy patawa. He was a very nice man, my godfather, and it was great to be in the presence of such a determined person.

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When I got there, Jun, my cousin's boyfriend reported that they just bought a stock of puerto del sol (about an hour away from hundred islands) which entitles them to something something at the resort. Ergo, i postponed my trip back to manila and decided that a night at a place with a great beach, an infinity pool, a jacuzzi, etc. etc. is worth postponing anything. Another thing that influenced me was that it coincided with the release of the ecfmg match news. The news would tell me whether or not a hospital would take me in for residency starting this june. In short, it was BIG NEWS. Whenever there's a big news, I could not help but feel that i need to be by the beach before i receive anything. Weird but the ocean, which once tried to claim my life, has a calming effect on me. When the result of my philippine medical board exams was released two years ago, I spent that day on the shores of Batangas... feeling little mermaid.
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While swimming in the infinity pool, this japanese looking man approached me and asked me where I was from. I told him i was from las pinas and then he told me he was from the manila polo club. Gag me now. Suffering succotash. Major kayabangan ahead! He rattled on and off and it was too much that I had to restrain myself from either drowning him or drowning myself. He then paused to ask me about my resume.... what do you do?

I knew he wanted to compare notes. So i told him, I'm a 26 year old bum. I have no work.

How come you are here? Are you being supported by someone?

I guess so. I told him.

He then told me condescendingly, maybe you are one of those people who endlessly shift courses huh? Don't know what to do in life.

Siguro nga. Sabi ko.

How many courses? Siguro nag shift ka ng ganito tapos ganito naman...

Ako engineer ako. Yung mga kasama ko engineer din. Sandali i introduce kita, heto nga pala si ENGINEER something (emphasis talaga siya sa title).

Nosebleeds. Why they need to fuss over titles, to compare who has a bigger lot in life, who has the greater title, the fatter wallet... I actually don't like to be introduced as "doctor louise". I mean before anything, i'm just louise who happens to like hanging out at the hospital. Why should I use it as some sort of leverage? Manila polo club. Engineer. Who cares? Should i now bow before royalty or get some rose petals and shower it over your head?

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