It’s early in the morning and I have just started my computer when a sametime message flashes across my screen. It is Kes, asking for advice. I am not exactly surprised. Not that Kes is usually in the habit of asking for advice, just that the world in general is in the habit of asking for advice from ME.
Not that I put a sign over my head saying that I am an adviser or anything like that, just that it’s the way it’s always been.
In fact, when I was in High School there was one funny instance when a classmate called me up with this introduction: “Our common friend told me you gave great advice so he told me to call you up.”
Perhaps I should’ve been a guidance councilor or a psychiatrist or an advice columnist. Nothing about my talents suggest that I am born to be an accountant at all. But then again, life is full of unplanned moments.
One such unplanned moment happened yesterday. Doms, as usual, was in one of his impulsive moods. Nevermind that we had already gone out last Monday (imagine I was already at home and all dressed to go to bed when he called and said they were on their way over to pick me up). This was Friday night and any decent yuppie wouldn’t be caught dead at home on gimik night. So the Monday Night Out group was back again in Dom’s car – Keso, Dina and Me. Dom’s Angels? Hehe.
First we braved the traffic to head for QC. We were about a full hour on the road and got the chance to talk about all sorts of things, including the newest inside joke of the gang, the line “CR muna ako” uttered by Doms. Long story, and it’s the sort of joke that’s funny if you hear it, and not read it.
Finally we pulled up infront of Moomba, one of Dom’s fave hangout places (that’s why we went there despite the distance). The place has a really cozy atmosphere, from the romantic glow of lamps to the cushy pillows and the live acoustic band.
After finding a table upstairs, we immediately ordered our meal, including the house specialty, a plate of ostrich. Yep, as in the huge bird. This is actually the second time I’ve eaten ostrich at this particular place, and I can say that it definitely tastes more like beef than its relative the chicken.
The last time it was still Doms who brought me here, but we were with Yen and Drew then, and it was during that moment that they kinda insulted my hair and told me to give it a makeover, which I did. When I came back from the long weekend my hair had body. What wonders a layered haircut from David’s Salon and a daily session with the hairdryer can do.
moomba – the place with the ambiance
At past midnight we had polished off all our delicious food (Moomba meals are really yummy, in fairness) and I was yawning all over the place. Dina suggested we grab some coffee at our “suki.”
We got back into Dom’s trusty car where I was able to grab some forty winks before he delivered us to Starbucks near RCBC Plaza.
I suggested they try one of the Christmas specials – Creme Broule. It only comes once a year! I had tried one when Nald bought coffee for everyone in the house just recently and it was simply divine. So we place our orders and nurse our coffees while sitting at a table. Then we got back into the car.
the best from starbucks – creme broule frappe & oreo cheesecake
It was already 2am and Dina said her housemate may already be asleep, so why not wait for 4am with her? Doms drives us over to my favorite park, the one nearest our place (though “near” is a relative term) which is actually nearer Greenbelt. We park at the side and just talked and talked inside the car until we realized that the sun had risen already, whereupon Kes proposes that we have breakfast together as well.
We all agree that this is a good idea, so once again Doms guns the engine and drives us over to CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) so we could have breakfast at the Blue Wave area.
We girls quickly freshen up our makeup during the trip so that we wouldn’t look so obviously without sleep. Getting out of the car we even joked, “Ang lamig ng tubig kanina ano?” as though we had taken baths when in reality, we were in the same outfit we wore to work since yesterday.
We withdrew some money from the ATM machine, since we already knew that our payroll accounts had already been credited with our month’s salary thanx to Doms who is from the Treasury Department (all the rest thought that the pay would come on Monday).
Then we had breakfast at Pancake House where we had individual orders and shared a plate of choco-chip pancakes with peanut butter. Yum!
We all had heavy meals so that we need not eat lunch. I myself knew I’d be sleeping the day away. Which I did, right after Doms brought us all home at around 8am. But definitely, that was one of the best overnights I’ve been to.