I've only had a few Muslim friends in my life and one of them is a colleague at the office. Because of her, I've become more conscious of Muslim practices and restrictions especially when it comes to food. One example was during the recently-concluded Ramadan, when we would be careful not to eat in her presence and made sure to ask her (after 6 pm) if she had eaten.

So finally, Eid Al Fitr came. No work, a holiday. Great!

That day, a Wednesday, my badminton group invited me to a dual meet: a group from Mindanao was coming over to our home court that day. They told me it was potluck and to please tell them in advance what I was bringing. I thought wow; maybe they’re here celebrating Eid Al Fitr and squeezed in playing badminton in the evening. What was easy to prepare at such a short notice that would be enough for a good number of people? Pansit.

I carefully told my mother that there would be Muslim friends joining our group that night. She decided to cook pansit with chicken. No pork. My mother boiled the chicken, deboned it carefully and cooked the pansit. It was very good.

The place was full when I arrived— all the courts were being used for that night. A girl from our group said hi to me and I took the chance to comment that it was amazing that we had friends from Mindanao joining that night. She said, yes, it’s something that has been practiced for several years already. The girl told me that they themselves go to Mindanao as well. “Dumadayo kami,” she said. I was totally impressed, almost in disbelief. I asked “Kahit ganon kalayo?”

She said, yes, yes. “Sa Mindanao corner Congressional.”

!@%$. I nodded at her and sat down to put on my badminton shoes. Secretly I called my house and in a very small voice told my mother: “Mama, wala ni isang Muslim dito.”

so long.

finally, i've come to the realization that i can't write anymore. i have nothing more to say.

to all my loyal readers (there isn't a lot of you but you are worth millions to me), thanks for having been with me all this time. i think it's best that i tell you i won't be writing anymore, than have you come here every once in a while to check if i had something to say. that would be a disappointment everytime, and i hate to disappoint. i truly hate to disappoint.

i'm on facebook though. i love updating my status there. my one-line status can speak volumes.

my status today:

"D confirms that you can't hear when you're free-falling."

you want to stay in touch? join facebook. add me up as your friend.

p.s. you may not know who I am. if you do want to know, just leave a message here with your name, open a facebook account and i'll add you as my friend in facebook.

hanggang sa muli.

a conversation between a ninong and his inaanak, while watching the FEU-Lasalle game last sunday:

Ice: FEU ako.
Ninong: Ayaw ko Lasalle.
Ice: Ba't ayaw mo ng Dasal?
Ninong: Ateneo kasi ako eh.
Ice: Wala namang Aneteo dyan eh.

naiyak ako, i swear. my girl is still so little but one day she will know what Lasalle is, and that Ateneo is not Aneteo. buti na lang tinamaan nya ang FEU.

saguijo

my former officemate said it very aptly: he didn't think i was ever a rocker. then what was i doing in saguijo last friday night?

it was not planned, my friend from high school and i agreed to meet for dinner last friday. her boyfriend L was not allowed (yes, not allowed, we girls are mean girls) to join us until after she and I had finished discussing all the essential girl talk. finally, when he did arrive he had to leave again, as his friend was on his way to pick him up. they were going to saguijo. after hearing this, she and i knew that we were going, too.

and so we went. saguijo was exactly what i imagined it to be: rundown, crowded, full of down to earth, interesting people. the beer was cheap (50 bucks) and the music was for free to be enjoyed. it reminded me of my days in UP when friends and i would go to the college of music and enjoy a free cultural show at the parking lot -- a violin or a flute would be playing the scale, or a voice major would be singing an aria -- while we ate fishballs at the parking lot.

(to be cont.)

uncanny connection

there's a girl i know, somebody i met months ago, an opposing counsel in fact. we've been going up against each other in at least ten cases that i've become most familiar with her.

she's pretty in a really cool way. when i mentioned this to the bosses sometime ago, they teased that i might be gay. of course we all know this is not true. i told them that my comment was really "aspirational".

anyway, sometime ago, i invited pretty girl to join us. i just blurted it out --- suntok sa buwan. being my opponent, i know her work, and i know her style. she looks like somebody who can make things happen. maabilidad. intelligent, of course, as she graduated from THE science high school and THE university and THE law school. sorry, my atenean readers :-)

she's joining us on october 16th.

why am i writing about her? because my connection with her is soooo uncanny.

after every hearing, we would have lunch or coffee and... TALK. we like to talk. we find it weird that we think so much alike. we both feel so much, and overthink. at lunch today we got stuck in mandaluyong due to the flooding. we spent HOURS just discussing her life. and mine.

nakakatuwa. especially now that friends are hard to find (figuratively and literally as most of my friends have families now), i'm just so thankful that there's one that i will soon find a few doors away from me, here in the office.

us tennis open 08

woohoo! it's murray vs. federer in the finals. i like them both, and i won't mind whoever wins. i'm just looking forward to watching an engaging match between these two especially since i've to wake at 5 a.m. tomorrow for their match.

finally, i've come to a conclusion that however likeable he suppposedly is, i don't really like nadal. i prefer federer over him, and murray even more. ika nga, di mapipilit ang puso. (duh?)

as for the women's finals --- well, serena won. corny.

thanks to etc channel, i was introduced to an amazing british singer who sings nessun dorma like nothing i've heard before. it was while i was putting away the dishes tonight when i overheard a plug for a certain concert this october, and they played a clip of the guy's performance at a british talent show. apparently, he won the top prize in '07.

so i watched paul potts on youtube, and he was just amazing he brought tears to my eyes. very few people have inspired me with their singing that way. so, i guess am watching in october.

since it's a classical music concert--- something that is not palatable to everyone --- i wondered who i can watch it? somebody who will appreciate the music and whose company i'll also appreciate.

i thought of R who is my friend from my university singing group - but he now has a girfriend and she might mind. ayaw ko namang kasama si girfriend kasi magmumukha akong third wheel.

i thought of D who loves bocelli and is married. I'm not worried about his wife kasi malakas ako dun, pero since ok naman si wife, i'll invite them both. so i won't be a third wheel, i'll invite BFF, who has no choice but to sama me because that's what BFFs do.

i know. (it has been a while!)

well, i had meant to publish here my "acceptance/thank you" speech at the dinner reception hosted by the partners sometime ago (2? 3 weeks ago?) just so you would know that i've not been looking much like a moron since my last post. :)

my sked has been just truly busy and any idle time i have i would rather not spend thinking or writing.

how have you been?

how have i been? things are looking up for me career-wise i think. that is all i can say about my life for now.