4 posts tagged “cebu”
Choreography is excellent! Check out the old faggot inmate wearing a baby pink halter and his funny death.
Madonna, Greek, men in uniform. What more can I say?
Enough about work. Let's talk about something more fun.
I wouldn't have survived Cebu had it not been for my discovery and rediscovery of these shiny, happy people.
Milo - It's weird how Milo and I became close only after he left Manila in 2004. I used to just walk past him back in our days with the old travel account. During my first visit in Cebu, however, he was my ultimate tour guide and night-out buddy. He even picked me up from the airport - in the middle of his shift on that hot day in March 04. (I should have followed his advice not to wear long-sleeved shirts back then. I melted in the asphalt-driven Cebu heat.) Naturally, he was the first person I phoned to announce my arrival in Cebu. Now that he's a Team Manager and busier, we made an effort to meet up, catch up on each other's dirt, and do the 'rounds.' He took me to this place called Paseo - a venue I describe as Dish minus airconditioning. I wasn't too happy with the place but Milo's wacky anecdotes made up for everything.
Tsok - Forsyth and I always got along as far as I could remember. It was Neil Gaiman's heart-wrenching view on love and his perennial drunken, happy state that got us acquainted. He was the first person I met up with the day I flew in. We ate at East West, this fusion resto that became an instant favorite from my first visit. And what is a night with Tsok without alcohol? He took me to this sports bar called Badgers near my hotel for a few drinks. Badgers is expat country, and so a Tom/Dick/Harry, with their Marifes and Maritesses in tow, would walk in every five minutes. Tsok and I, as usual, would make fun of them. There was this guy who came in wearing a big maple leaf hat that evening. I thought it was just for kicks. Then I later learned it was Canada Day. Cool.
Rock and Pop Star - I woke up one morning to the signature banter of this dynamic duo (Win and Raymond) and found out that we were going to be roomies for a week until they got a place of their own. Fun! Being with them was like being in Project Runway/ANTM where the contestants would converge in the mansion's balcony for some smokes and laughs. And yes, because it was ANTM-like, there were photo sessions too. Check out Win's Guess-like shots in Raymond's blog.
Raymond also celebrated his birthday in Cebu, so we surprised him with tiramisu with the word Rockstar on it. Mitchy took the lead in eating the cake, much to Raymond's usual asar reaction. :-)
Then came Mitchy - She needs a haircut - quick! But nevertheless, I've learned to love Mitch and her naturally sweet ways. Here's what a true friend ought to be. We would talk for hours and hours and just laugh about stupid people at work over alcohol and food. I accuse her of making me fat! Go Tea-yum!
Mel - Ooops. I think we made an alcoholic out of Mel. She used to be this quiet QA person tucked in her station and enslaved to her headset, but I think we just repackaged her into this post-shift beer-craving extrovert. Snaps for me. And Mel, don't believe the ghost stories. All you need to do is live harmoniously with them.
Willi - We were both in the pioneer batch of the program we work for and would only be hi-hello to each other until Cebu happened. Willi's a fine guy with a lot of witty comments waiting to blurted out. And he's not a party pooper! I will never forget how he and Di-Ey came to my aid when I started throwing up after some hard partying. He has my respect.
Sandy - Could I just broadcast this? Sandy, take it easy on the food! Sands and I have ALWAYS gotten along. We share the same work ethic and are both general's sons. We go a long way back but were never really aware of it until office happened. I am looking forward to working with him again. He's probably enjoying the master's bedroom at Unit 303 as I write.
Joey and Ron - It was my first time to hang out with Ron and my first time in ages with Joey. Free booze! Yipee!
B'ley and Rui - Thank God I saw fellow citizens of the Kingdom! Our reign shall never end. Loft is our footstool!
Tata's Crew - Aiys, Doris, and Mark! Thanks for the warmth and hospitality you extended during my stay. And for giving in to my one whim - Z! Truth be told, meeting you guys was sort of a social experiment for me, as I have never really 'blind dated' someone else's crew. It all went fine, I think. I felt welcome and all that jazz. It's my turn before the year ends. Come up here and I'll play host.
My Elevator Buddies: Daisy, Iza, and Di-ey - Nothing could hold four people closer than an elevator stuck in between ground and second. Daisy's views on life and love, Iza's appeal to sexyback mestizos, and Di-ey's culinary skills made Sophia Suites a better place to be. Hehehe.
Foreground: TM Sandy; L-R: AT Jai, LT Russel, ST Owen, QAA Mel, TS Mitchy, TS Willibog, TS Win (Edwin for short), TS Raymond, and T Ces.
I am back in Manila, after my 30-day training stint in Cebu. Let's do a review of my southern shindig.
The Airport - Nothing could be worse than the Manila Domestic Airport. Man, our garage looks much better. It's a shame how it hasn't changed ever since my very first airplane ride some 21 years ago. The only things they probably change on a regular basis are the flourescent lamps that conk out every 30 days (the government sure knows how to allocate funds). Oh, and there's a newly-built smoking area outside the concourse BUT there are no built-in lighters in that lounge. Bad!
The Ride To The Hotel - To rid myself of the clueless tourist complex, I relied on my best memory of the route from the Mactan International Airport to Cebu City. I recalled, as much as I could, the bridges and avenues that will take me to Sophia Suites. Good thing too that I understand Cebuano and managed to grapple a few phrases to the driver. The private car service charged $7 from the airport to the hotel. Not bad at all since the car was brand new and did not smell.
The Hotel - Sophia Suites has always been temporary dwelling to most Trainers and Managers who fly in from Manila. It was my first time though to stay there. (I bunked with Russel in Summerfield Suites some 4 years ago.) Cool place. It's a residence hotel so the look and feel reminds you of home, and not some hospital repainted to look like a posh place to stay. I stayed in unit 303 together with Cecile (who hogged the master's bedroom) for a good four weeks. Our roomies and freeloading friends would change every week.
The AC was on full blast everyday and I'd smoke everywhere except the rooms. Cutlery was expensive and flatware was all Corelle (did I spell that right?). There was a laundry nook on the 2nd floor behind the front desk where most of us would catch up on work while waiting for our clothes to dry up. The hotel was right behind an old mall so groceries weren't much of a hassle. The commute to the office was fabulous. Cab rides would cost less than a dollar - if you don't make the cabbie wait.
The only thing I did not like about the hotel was the effing elevator that sentenced me to ten minutes of sheer agony. But yes, my elevator buddies and I still had the gall to camwhore. I took this picture (check out the worried look on my face):
The Office - As in our Manila locations, the interiors look nauseatingly the same. Some sort of reminder that I came there for work first and leisure second. The perimeter of the office building is filled with restaurants and bars that serve beer round the clock. I wouldn't be surprised if an agent would report to work buzzed one of these days. And there's a nice club right on one side of the building called The Loft where I became an instant VIP - but that's another story.
Here's an after-work-arte shot:
