Friday (Chapter One)
(inspired by 'Kill Bill, Vol 1' and its predilection for 'chaptering' the narration of The Bride's story)

Last Friday, I went to Manila, my first time in months, and I realize it has been quite a while because I noticed two rather odd things. One, the lines at the Magallanes MRT station are loooong. They were so long that with the time I spent lining up for a pass, I could've (in no particular order) a) filed my nails, except I don't file my nails and even if I do, I won't do that in public (but I have seen someone cut his nails inside an MRT train) b) finished five pages of whatever book I had with me, assuming I read faster now c) cleaned out the contents of my bag's outer pockets (gum wrapper, old receipts, useless scribblings) d) sang three-fourths of 'American Pie' (granted I knew the lyrics).

Another thing I noticed were the really, really garrulous walkway bridges (is that how you call them?) at the EDSA - Aurora intersection. As the message splayed across it says 'Pamasko ni Gloria'. I would have to concede that it's a welcomed relief. Gone are the days when I would have to contend with beating the green light and risk being felt up by creeps. But man, the color scheme! It makes those ubiquitous MMDA art shit look tame. Anyways, they already 'complement' the already-bizaare visual topography of Cubao (think: blue-orange New Farmer's Plaza, red-yellow Sogo hotel, that other screaming-in-color building near the southbound side of the Cubao MRT station, too many to mention). I also noticed that with the construction of the MRT 3 route along Aurora Blvd, it has gotten a wee bit darker along that area. Despite my misadventures in the Cubao area when I was still commuting to Marikina years ago, there's something strangely attractive about Cubao, in the same way that I am drawn to Manila, especially the Taft area. I am not surprised why Tony Perez did his 'Cubao' series (Durga did her thesis on that). Cubao would've been the great stuff of Bernal and Brocka films.

I was in the metro in the first place because I met up with three of my ex-dorm mates last Friday at the Megamall area. We met up under the 'pretense' of 'celebrating' T.'s impending departure from her apartment. Her company decided to slash her work days from 22 to 11 (and in effect creating a hole on her salary rate), thus eliminating the need for her to stay in Pasig Kapitolyo on weekdays. Too bad, because it was really a nice place and I have one less place to stay in Manila, hehehe.

Met up at the MegaStrip (Megamall's pithy attempt to go with the pseudo-al fresco bs that began with Eastwood), then ate at Sukothai, which sort of satistified my two-week-long-running hankering for something gastronomically different. My favorite of the three things we ordered was the tom yum mixed seafood number, thanks to the flavor of the broth that was generated by the crabs (though I don't eat crabs). It merged nicely with its spicy-hot base.

(End of Chapter One)