In Davao
brain cells warped as heads collided and fused during heady conversations on moving investments to small agriculture producers
hormones boil in heavy workshops on enabling and ensuring property ownership
non-English speaking rice eaters groped for the rights words to say on rice campaigning
and the last remaining strands of will power were drawn deep as the GROW session limped to the conclusion of a gruelling 6-day face-to-face meeting.
In Davao
tuna balls cracked, tuna roe melted, tuna belly wiggled, tuna tail wagged, tuna jaw locked
the Red Horse outran the Pale Pilsen and the paler SML
ABBA belted "I Will Survive" with Phil Collins in the second and the Spice Girls on the third
and connived with the durian in the name of insane sanity
In Davao
pansit was served with blue rice after agri-invest and before land rights
and fried for lunch after the rice meeting and before the GROW huddle
'Yan ay pagkatapos makantiwayan ng pizza at mojos n'ung nakaraang araw sa PRRM, ang pulutang sisig sa Baluarte bago dumating si AK, at habang binubuno ang misteryo ng PSF sa Maharlika at ang pangako nitong milyon-milyong pondo.
Ang bihon guisado ng PSF ay dinugtungan ng sashimi at Johnny Walker Black, na hinugasan pa ng kinilaw na tuna at San Mig Lights sa Kanto Grill, binanlawan ng 27-kilometrong paggagalugad kinabukasan sa mga nakatagong kalsada ng Villa Nati, ikinula sa dinakdakan at pansit canton na inihain ni Kuya Blav sa Quezon, at isinampay sa walang kamatayang pansit ni Edgar na nagkabuholbuhol sa matining na second voice ni Kuya Ading na umalingawngaw sa Bacal 2.
Nagbunyi kinabukasan ang mga demonyo dahil kinailangang bumiyahe ng maaga na wala man lang naiwang "Happy Valentine's!" sa katabing unan, kaya marahil pinarusahan ako ng almusal na Mcdo spaghetti sa Quezon Avenue at ng pananghaliang Jollibee palabok sa airport, at sinalubong sa Davao ng mga kapwa nais makalimot na may Valentine's Day nga.
The last time I was in Bangkok was three years ago [last year's overnight layover on the way to Phnom Penh don't count] so there is a growing itch of experiencing how is it under military rule [like the Marcos years maybe?] and perhaps update my "Ghost of the Marble Temple" photo [Ayutthaya and the Floating Market too!] which a "wayward" invitation to a campaign planning workshop can make possible, so I of course confirmed to which I got replied with a budget code and was on the verge of submitting a booking request until I was told that there is a designated focal point for that meeting who in turn told me she is inclined to attend not that meeting but another one so Bangkok it is for me, after three years, until the LOA signing process caught up with our schedule and the pressure to move P5 million ASAP became my team's to-die-for aspiration.
Almost Bangkok and just like that, but with no regrets, and that in fact, I felt that I wished then for a reason not go at all, because the LOAs needs to get signed first and the initial grant payments made, that going back to CLSU to keynote its annual student organizations recognition day is more appealing than reporting for a workshop group, that reminiscing my younger days as a frat man and bragging a bit of where I've been since then in front of a thousand audience is more meaningful than reshooting the Marble Temple, and being surprised by a "3rd best award" to my college fraternity when it would even barely qualify for OSA recognition during my time is more exciting than the street cuisine of Silom Road.
And of course, Friday being caught between a sanctioned event on a Thursday in Nueva Ecija and the weekend was charged to my leave credit, which means a fine day for biking through routes that a double flat tire killed last Saturday, before finally getting proper reception as a District Grand Lodge Inspector on a moment [the Saturday after the Thursday talk and the Friday bike] where I should be present as the past bids goodbye and the incumbent says hello to the Oriental Chair, and a Sunday ride with Balong that ended in a rare family breakfast [just the three of us though] in the hollowed grounds of CLSU.
Overall, it was a week spent better than Bangkok as the LOAs moved for signatures and grant payment requests get drafted, and I got another invitation to Bangkok too for a digital campaign training which I was yearning to have, and was doubly happy not to go for the first invite, until the wife told me the dates fall within Balong's elementary graduation rites, that we have to wake up at 3:40 am the next day and endure the crowd and smell of Divisoria which I hate, and missed the eat-all-you-can salmon and tuna sashimi at Dad's World Buffet as I forced myself on a greasy Chinese banquet of mostly pork slaughtered for the Chinese New Year.
It was again almost Bangkok, but at least I have The Hague to look forward to...
Sa totoo lang, nakakapagod ding kumain ng pansit, lalo na 'yung normal na pansit [bihon guisado, lomi, mami, canton] na nabibili kahit saan at wala namang taglay na pambihira at bago.
'Yung pansit canton na inihain ng Casa San Pablo, litson ang sahog at madaming gulay, kaya nausisa ang panlasa kahit hindi pa natutunaw ang almusal na Whooper Jr. Burger at chicken nuggets na pinatungan ng meriendang puto at palitaw.
Puede na din bagamat hindi ito maituturing na pambihira, katulad ba ng sintonadong kantahan sa videoke basta may malamig na beer at masarap na pulutan, o ng wala masayadong kuwentang ulam basta may masarap na sawsawan.
Nakakapangulila din ang lasa ng palabok basta't hindi galing ng Jollibee, kaya siguro naiwan at naibalik naman ang telepono ko ng mamalabok ako sa Tropical Hut, bagamat hindi ko na talaga mahanap ang lasa ng pansit luglug sa Santiago City na binudburan ng tinapa flakes.
Malabsang pansit ang kasama sa pananghalian ni Kuya Ading sa District Convention kaya siya marahil inantok at nakatulog.
Hindi sa pansit kundi marahil ay dahil sa hindi ako sumama sa libing ni Ate Leovy kaya ako umabot sa sa dead end at na-double float.
At walang pansitan sa Quezon pero may inilaang nilagang itlog at saging para sa 32.3 kilometrong karera.
Masarap ang adobong baboy at itlog maalat ni iginayak ni Kuya Chito pagkatapos ng karera kaya ako nakadalawang hirit, at kahawig n'ung muse 'yung serbidora sa lomihang nagsara na sa San Jose City.
