Intimate Get-Together, Comeback at Bistro & Jeepney Ride

Our Own Version of Sex & the City

I looove the Holiday Season! Well, except for stress brought about by severe traffic jams & extreme commercialism, it’s still that time of the year when enemies become friends, estranged families get to know each other again and in my world, it’s when “The Sex & the City” girls of my life come home and get together!

(L-R):  Jem, Me, Irene & Ces

It’s very timely that Jem (the Samantha in our group) was sent by her company to work in Manila this Christmas. She’s from Phoenix, Arizona and it’s been a year since she was here last  and stayed with us. I was really excited to see her and hear her amazing adventures (not only in U.S. but in Paris as well! Wow!!!) 

Irene (our Charlotte) has been very busy being a new mom. And knowing her, she always has a full calendar whatever the season is. She is not only our Charlotte, she is also the Martha Stewart in our group, the perfect beautiful wife.

Cecille (our Miranda) has a very tight schedule. She is a born career woman with a  very demanding kind of job. But as much as she can, she always finds the time to be with us even if that entails not sleeping at all.

And as for me, well, I am the Carrie Bradshaw in our group. I am flexible with my time as of the moment and wherever there is a party or get-together among close friends, I am always there. Teehee.

Window shopping with Irene…

The Mordo with  Vicente (Irene’s hubby and the defending heavyweight champion of URCC)

Peter and I first met up with Irene since she was already at Shangrila Mall doing some personal shopping. I got to talk to her  about some issues I had and everything is now okay between us. Yay!  After shopping, we met  with the others for dinner at Penang Hill. Irene recommended John & Yoko since Jem was craving for Japanese food. But we couldn’t find it and every other restaurant had a waiting list. Not than Penang Hill’s Malaysian cuisines were not great coz they actually were and they came in huge servings!

Beef Rendang, Tom Yam, Bagoong Rice, Seafood Soup

So we stayed there as we waited for Vicente, Cecille and Jem.  All in all, it was one happy  long meal!  Hehehe. If you only heard the things (rated X,Y & Z!) we talked about and the way we behaved, it was definitely like a one big resto scene from Sex and the City! I love you girls! I can’t wait for our sleepover party after new year!

One Big Comeback!

It’s been six months since I last saw my all-time favorite band, BROWNMAN REVIVAL,  play. I really missed them a lot. I super missed them that I braved commuting ALONE via cab from Ortigas to Anonas, QC at around 9:30 pm last Thursday! Peter couldn’t join me coz he still has work at 11 pm. With my heart pounding, I got out of  Zach (our Yaris) and attempted to fall in line in one of those taxi stations outside Megamall. I tend to be impatient so after less than a minute, I walked towards Edsa and voila — I was able to get a cab so quickly! Lucky me!  To think there were already tons of people in line, waiting for a cab. I talked to the driver the whole ride, just to have a feel  of whether he’s a good or bad person. All of my senses were on red alert. Should anything bad happen, I was ready to do a “Phoebe Stunt“ in the middle of Edsa (There was a time when our friend Phoebe jumped off from a moving cab coz the driver was trying to rob her & threaten her life). Anyway, the driver told me that around that time, cabs no longer go to the taxi stations near malls because it would take them an hour just to turn around and go back to Edsa. Plus, they wouldn’t be able to say no to passengers in case they feel that the passenger’s route will not be profitable for them. So, that was why the line of people waiting for cabs that night was not moving at all. Tsk, tsk. Thank God I was impatient enough to go look for another cab.You should do too, when caught in the same situation.

So anyway, I got to 70’s Bistro at around 10:00 pm. Coffee Break Island was already playing inside but I chose to stay outside where Jayson (trombone player), Ambet (trumpet player), Jojo (sax player), Jao (bass guitarist), Alphy (guitarist), Januarie (percissionist), Dennis (drummer), Onard (Keyboardist)  and Pau&Jigs (PAs) were hanging out.

 With Pau & Januarie

Through the years that I’ve been an avid fan, we’ve all become friends that’s why I just instantly felt so at home with them that night. I didn’t even have to turn on my extrovert powers. They’re like family to me and I just had a great time with them!  Moments later, Riki (sound engineer) & Jotay (band manager) arrived and I just had a blast chatting, laughing and hanging out with them! It felt so nice to be out of my shell and to NOT be dependent on Peter in sparking both deep and shallow conversations with the guys.I actually felt more like my old self again (during my high school and college days, pre-Peter time, when I used to be  so confident and sure of myself. It felt great! I felt awesome!

Joe bought us a bucket of beer!!! Cheers!!!

I must have been attracting everything good coz an acquaintance I only met two days ago (Joe) at the Velvet Launch Party in Makati showed up with his friends! And I thought he was just doing some lip service when he said he would go to Bistro too. Wow! That was fantastic! I mean, I love promoting BMR and I even love it more when the people I’ve promoted it too do  go out of their way to see ‘em, appreciate their music and like the band as well. I was in reggae heaven!

My “showbiz” friends (L-R): Koryn (writer for ABS-CBN’s Bandila), Dino (vocalist of BMR), Angel (associate producer of Imbestigador)

My tipsy moments… L: With Riki & Koryn; R: With Claire (Dennis’ wife) and Edwin (of The Jerks Band)

With Jammy & Michelle 

BMR’s GURLZ… LOL.

Just before BMR started playing, I went in and found Dino (their vocalist and one of my many crushes…Teehee.) His hair is shorter this time and he is single again. I would’ve probably reacted “woohoo!” on this post but since Joan (his ex) is one of my dear gfs, I won’t. Suffice it to say that he looked so good and I missed the band so terribly that all my crushie feelings  for him came rushing back. Hehehe. Add to that the fact that I’ve been drinking  since Jao gave me a glass of rhum coke earlier that evening, I’ve been ordering tonic vodka since I went inside the bar and Joe bought me and my gfs (Koryn, Angel, Grace, Michelle and Jammy who eventually arrived later that night)  a bucket of beer. So, with more than enough alcohol in my system, I pretty much went  wild….

 My first girly kiss moment this week…

By “wild”, I mean I did my signature series of “moves” that I do every time I see BMR play after being absent for long periods of time. We girls scream “We Love you BMR/Dino!” at the top of our lungs and with no shame at all (thanks to the magic that is alcohol), I usually go up the stage, hug Dino and kiss him on the cheek at the same time! Hahahaha! That was really fun! I wish Peter could’ve been there to witness another one of my “groupie moments”. Hehehe. 

 L: With Januarie; R: With Dino

If there was one thing that topped my high point that evening, it would be when I went to the bathroom and this pretty girl said hi to me. She said my name and I of course panicked coz I can’t seem to remember her. In that split second after she mentioned my name (“You are Jen Juan, right?), I was searching my brain for any signs of recognition. I thought “Have I met her before in one of the parties I attended? Was she my schoolmate? Have we been introduced? Oh God, I hate it when I’m this tipsy!” And then she said, “No, you don’t know me. Me and my husband, we read your blog…” And I was awed. I just said “Oh my God, thank you!“. It’s not everyday that I get to meet my readers who are mostly non-bloggers, by the way.  It was such an honor. My only regret was, as tipsy as I was that night, I couldn’t anymore remember her name. And my glasses got lost that evening that I was walking half blind half of the night I wasn’t able to look for their table which I said I would. I could’ve personally introduced myself to her husband and said hi. I could’ve introduced them to the band if they wished. So, to the pretty girl I met in the bathroom, if you’re reading this, I’d like to thank you for approaching me that evening. It meant a lot. Drop a line or two here so I may remember your name. I hope you enjoyed BMR as much as I did. And I hope to see you in one of their gigs again!  To my other readers out there, if you get to see or recognize me in a crowd, don’t hesitate to approach me (even if I’m tipsy). I’d  be real glad to get to know you, even for just a bit.

My First Jeepney Ride. Again.

After the gig, I managed to still have my wallet and  my Olympus digicam, all thanks to Koryn who was a bit sober throughout that evening (I almost left my wallet in the cab!). But too bad, I lost track of where I put my prescription glasses. Tsk, tsk. Koryn was kind enough to let me sleep over at her place. Obviously, it wouldn’t be wise for me to go home to Alabang at 4 am, terribly drunk and wearing mini skirt & glittery stockings. The moment  I lay my back on her soft bed, I passed out. 

Feasting on Lemon Chicke, Yang Chow Fried Rice & Beef Broccoli

When I woke up a few hours later, I was still wearing my clothes and my make-up! This  only meant that I really had a blast partying the previous night. Hahaha! Anyway, we spent some time buying stuff at Trinoma and had lunch at North Park. We ordered a lot of food and it was awesome! There were tons of leftover for Peter and he was so happy I brought him pasalubong.

Anyway, prior to all this, we couldn’t get any cab near Koryn’s place. So we rode a jeepney instead. My God! I couldn’t believe I enjoyed it. It has been ages since I last rode one. It felt fantastic actually. The air was cool even at noon time, there weren’t any passengers and air pollution was at a minimum. It felt like a novel experience to think that I used to commute a lot before.  It came to a point that we even had our pictures taken a-la-tourist style. Hahaha! And with that, I felt that this is starting to be a Very Merry Christmas!