Newsie #12 : 17 May 1999

AN AFFAIR I CAN BARELY REMEMBER

I just had a very interesting week---very,very interesting indeed. Okay, I guess I have to travel back in time just to recount all the details.

May 13, 1999

At least I don't get propositions from married, unattached men everyday except for this day. It so happened that I have to call this guy just to tell him to stop informing all my office mates about my going-into-his-organization-because-it's-near-U.P.Dil-and-has-a-higher-pay and that I already sent them my resumé. So, he asks me to accompany him to this Tellar Air inauguration and I already told him there and then that I don't want to go, the answer is no and just find yourself another date, your wife perhaps? He tells me to think about it and he'll call me again in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, he calls again, tells me to wait for him in front of San Agustin Church at around 7 P.M. I remind him again that I already told him to look for somebody else, somebody else and specifically not me! He tells me to forget the Air Co. inauguration and just meet someplace near---talk about the start of an illicit love affair---he knows where I live so he suggested Burger King. I don't want him anywhere near my place so I suggested that he should find another person besides me. He was very, very persistent and suggested another way to meet with him. I don't know how many times I said no and he just won't let me get away with it. Finally, I said, "Okay, if you won't take no for an answer, I'll meet you at National Bookstore in Robinson's Place from 7-7:30 P.M."

After aerobics, at around 6:45 P.M., I contacted his pager to tell him that the meeting is off and that the message is, "Puwedeng hindi tuloy? I told you it's not a good time to meet. Don't bother me anymore." He's probably pissed off with me and I don't even want to say sorry because I'm not. But, I think, that's my last ticket out of PBSP.

The message was clear, when I say no it really means NO! Still, I'm thinking of calling the guy, tell him that I do mean what I say and persuade him to take me into his organization so that he doesn't have to miss me a lot he's so desperate to meet with me at all costs! How's that? Well, it's an exaggeration when I say he's my only way out, I'm positive there's something else waiting out there---but the waiting is KILLIIINNNGGGG MEEE!

May 14, 1999

We have this Dutch guy named Robin as an intern here at PBSP and we decided to take him out for a walk aroud the walls of Intramuros. "We" is composed of Ces (my immediate supervisor), Riza, Michelle and me. We treated him for dinner at the Harbor View and later decided to go to the Malate area. We ate dessert at Portico, then went off to Nakpil St., they blocked the entire street for a show. We hanged out in one of the bars and drank beer (Michelle, Robin and me). Ces and Riza decided to leave at around 11 P.M. while the beer drinkers stayed---yes, nagiging professional tomadora na ako ngayon.

Some European friends of Robin were there and since Michelle have already met all of them they both decided to introduce me to them, especially to the single, unattached ones. I don't remember some of their names anymore.

There's Jenny, she's from Sweden and she looks like C.C. Babcock of The Nanny. I forgot the name of this Dutch guy who was a friend of Robin, he had curly hair and reminds me of another Hollywood actor who I also forgot the name. He did say I look Spanish, of course I was flattered but insisted that he's probably drunk already because I know I'm very much Filipino even if my last and middle names (Pizarro-Oviedo) are the only ones Spanish about me. Then there's Robert, he's this German who shaved his hair off. Michelle and Robin were both pairing me off with this guy from Scotland who just arrived in the Philippines---Wednesday of that week. It was such a relief when we all went off to Cafe Havana in Remedios Circle because I'm having a hard time talking with all these people because they are from different parts of Europe and each one of them has this certain "twang" or their own English accent and I'm having a hard time segregating the twang from what they are saying since I feel my own world going in circles because of the beer.

Latino dancing at Cafe Havana was a cure for it all. I danced the Lamabada with whoever knows how.

I was lucky I don't have to bore the guy from Scotland with my questions. It's a good thing these people prefer to talk so I get to ask a lot of questions and just like me, it's going into circles. Anyway, the party ended at 3 A.M. with the European group going to Giraffe in Makati while Robin, Michelle and I decided to stay in Malate. They hailed the first taxi that came along the way and let me have it. Off I went to PBSP for my 3:45 A.M. group who are off to Lucban, Quezon for the Pahiyas.

I'll tell the Pahiyas and the Majayjay experience next NEWSIE because this one is fairly long and I don't want to bombard any of you people with all the information.