Weird Night Out

On this cold and wet Saturday evening which I didn't want to spend alone in my unit after realizing today's hour of badminton would again be useless in my short-term goal of a dreamless, uninterrupted sleep (I was unable to sleep pa rin after 1.5 hrs of badminton and 1 hr massage yesterday), I texted Sony if he was up to that movie we rainchecked on, and if not, I was hoping to crash at his place so we can also visit Maan who lives next door, and who recently gave birth. Instead he invites me to tag along, to a gathering of strangers. If you know me, this is not my kind of thing, but for reasons stated earlier, I was inclined to go, not knowing whom I'll meet, but I was there for moral support because it was supposedly a set-up, a blind date of some sorts for some of the people there.

So what would we have in common with three American Peace Corps volunteers- Joe from the Midwest (Kansas), John from North Carolina who graduated with distinction with a computer science degree, and Dave, who was wearing a nice short-sleeved shirt that would qualify as a dress shirt, a gimik polo barong, if you will. Joe's girlfriend is Maris, an Atenista who is the recent CineManila best actress (digital lokal) for her indie film Ala Suerte Ala Muerte. We also have 2 lawyers, Rissa (a very pretty vegetarian, a deadringer for Khristine Hermosa) and Marco (a lawyer by day, "pornographer" by night)- they are both into lomography/photography; Dos, who is a fashion model turned entrepreneur and the host for the night's get-together, carefully changing seats, making us switch sides, as he and Maris carefully pan out the couples they'd like to pair. Bunny is Sony's common friend, a niece of Tessie Tomas, she is pretty and sosyal, yet her real friends would call her jologs.

Well of course how could we not talk about being a peace corp in a developing country? Why would a young American go to Asia, to see poverty and what were they hoping to accomplish? I got a very engaging answer from John, who struck me as a very interesting , very witty person. He started off by saying he thinks he may get deported to the US for leaving early from Nueva Vizcaya without notification, a clear violation of their travel policies. He said he usually gets terminated in all of his jobs (but talks his way out of it), starting from his first job at Taco Bell where he used the ketchup and cheese barrel pumps as guns, positioning himself on top of the restaurant and shooting the pumps as if he was a gunslinging westerner shooting at goo goos. (I wonder how he wiggled his way out of that). When asked, "Why become a peace corp volunteer?", he replied "Because of the experience, of meeting new people, of learning a new language, taking myself out of my comfort zone and using my skills to contribute to the poor. It certainly beats my 3-year stay in my cubicle, working as a techie where I became a drone..bo-ring!"

We seemed aghast that Americans would leave the safety and cocoon of their nation, where they can have everything, and go here, where not everything is pretty. To this he replied, " Yes certainly, there are a lot of areas that are quite frankly disturbing, and you'd wonder if your efforts would make a difference..but this is the job I signed up for-an adventure. The plus side is that the people are very warm and readily accept your help.." They each have areas of specialization: they'd help build schools, give developmental and business skills like book-keeping, planning, project management, team building. Joe is assigned in Marinduque, John in Nueva Vizcaya, and it is seldom that they go to Manila,actually and see each other together.

Ultimately, I think what being a peace corp means for these younger men, is a ticket to a far off adventure, which is best taken during youth, like a pill, but would reverberate, have a lasting effect, in your entire life. John, for instance, we think, would go back to IT, maybe once he gets deported (for real), which, he conceded, might actually be something he intentionally did to end his over 1.5 year stay here." I will go back to IT because that's where I'm good at, although i'm trying to transition from being a techie to functional management, but somehow they always pull me back in to the technical side of it.." Joe, who's based in Marinduque is clearly smitten with his morena-skinned Marissa, and we hear he'd love to stay here for good. To this, Marissa said in jest that he ought to have a real job, in Tagalog, which of course he understood. Sobrang kikay this artista, who's a cross between Ciara Sotto and G Toengi.

Not long after, all of us were arguing with Sony. The topic: Singapore's lack of culture. Sony said he liked it there because he was lucky with friends and his job there, and so what if during his stay he just went to bars, ate out and watched movies? Marco, Dos and I were passionate about it, saying there's something amiss when everything's new, spruced up, no dirt and all hyped up in advertising but there's really nothing to see. We just conceded that indeed, there is no place like home, and drank to that, with a cold San Mig Light.

Later on, when forced to sit together, Marco and I talk about our phones (finally someone who understands my infatuation with my E61-he has the E61i!),writing, the real reason I hate Singapore, lawyering and about God. He is passionate about loving God, and his pro-bono work. I told him pro bono would make lawyers better lawyers; he told me to trust that God has His reasons for bringing us to the circumstances we are in today, and not to believe that it's ok what I'm going through, because it's not-- the pain is there, but if people say that it will be ok,I should listen, because God has His ways, which ultimately, will be the best for us. "But remember that whatever He gives you, you must listen, and learn to accept. So in your prayer ask that you be happy, and learn to listen to Him. He may be saying not now, but if you're not listening hard enough, all you'll hear is a no..."

It was weird, that intense conversation about God, while we were out at Fez Bar and Resto in Serendra, surrounded by a lot of people who are showing a lot of flesh,kissing, snuggling, while those who are not are looking around, as if to sight what opportunities the night may bring.

As Marco and I sign off with an approval rating for Sony's set-up, listing the pros and cons, (what's good with his friend vs what's good with my friend), we deliver our verdict, saying, " pwede.pwede!", and exhange numbers. He writes for a men's mag (under a pseudonym), and I promised to check it out. It is a weird night out because resonating everywhere is God's message for me to be still, and to listen. We exchanged numbers because of the personal retreat that Cielo, Sony and I will be undertaking-he is friends with a lot of nuns and priests, and has invited me hear mass at UP with a Fr. Hizon who delivers an excellent sermon.

" God wants what's in our hearts. If he's saying it's not now, it may be in His time."

I'm thinking this while the others head over to Embassy. Sony and I recap, me with my non fat steamed milk , and his drink of choice, a Cafe Mocha, at Starbucks Rockwell.