THE MANILA AND BANGKOK LAYOVERS

PART 1: The Grind

“The sarcophagus ’neath his new city waits.

Pylons and angels guarding o’er his tomb..."

A pilgrimage to the Quezon Memorial Shrine was agreed even before payment requests were amended and disbursed for the monthly power and water bills, phone charges and credit card statements... 

...that were rejected by newly activated replacement cards, collaterals for pieces of concrete real estate in Hop Inn-Ortigas, Red Planet-Asoke and Hotel XYZ in Tacloban...

...as the futile search for Johor Bahru's budget codes topped the agenda of the ACWC who will convene in Siem Reap a month before the Luang Prabang ToR takes effect...

...to initiate the final Ormoc arrangements and social protection for Xieng Thong where the I-JET and FFA PMUs will meet to decide on the fate of the missing mentee...

...who mixed a cocktail of Red Horse and cheap birthday brandy in lieu of an unmasonic charge, two tours in Bali, and the signing of a 6-month contract after 5 biking days. 

PART 2: The Ghosts of QC

"Adorned in Ilustre's design he lies.

He rests at last with his murdered wife.”

Boy Ching Woo is framed in Caloocan

chauffeur to dead presidents 

curator of the Presidential Car Museum

Tandang Sora wept with the rain

her National Shrine disgraced 

San Pedro Bautista relegated

Pansit alanganin, Neapolitan pizza

premium finally paid by Motorino

brunch, dinner at Marhaba Lounge

PART 3: Sleepless in Bangkok

Soi Cowboy sleeps

a Red Planet of sai ua

food tasting the trains

sapphire for a juice

pork cooks in Room 408

Luang Prabang beckons

--- With apologies to Dan Brown

LIFT OFF

her scent lingered, 

a resilient ambassador to forgotten acquaintances who skipped a Monday meeting in a bus to Bulacan, to the university and a senator meeting with consorts at Rodic's where reheated lunch was launched as a dinner at the The Patio

breakfasts at Morato, 

ribsilog wrapped with blank pages of an HR contract in a buffet of email spams offering fairly financed tapsilog, burger meals, and a just transition from the green bus to a confused discussion on ASEAN influencing in Luang Prabang

the first PMU meeting, 

Laos chocked by a loud Cambodian voice fostering a 6-month spending plan for a travel insurance through amended payment requests that were Tried and Proven with a sweet brandy in Baloc and cold strong beer in Bakal 2 

a panel in Johor Bahru, 

330 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur is 25 kilometers via Singapore, just one of four days in the bike trails on a fuel of cheap burnt wine from the Sunday market where a voluptuous lady threw furtive glances at the fish monger's stall

BLACK HOLE

the void

confused like GRAISEA's report

buzzing with Hive Hotel scenarios

a footnote for Leavers

an abyss  

blase and muted in the bus

budget codes for redundant dollar bills

to pee or not to be

the chasm

providence in pares sauce

glorious EJ, baffled HR, warm wine 

virtuous to go first

crevasse

perplexing, like tapas in Nepal

or Dutch beer thinned with cheap brandy

discharge accepted

the pit

a peloton of mice and nuns 

Bulan to lead them out in Tacloban

6 months it is

TRANSITION

Leavers take form 

a digital payment request perhaps

or a flight booking to Luang Prabang for a brandy countdown

an energy transition agenda
or leftover beer and wine for a conversation with Mustafa

travel requests quickly approved

or EJ, care work and affiliation aired live in the radio

an autocad-capable machine 

or checking Solid North for a cache of cold beer in Baloc

First week with no contract

75 hours of unused vacation leaves

5 days of long bike rides through ambiguous HR policies 

THE LAST DAYS OF GRAISEA

I submitted my last GRAISEA time sheets and sent a bottle of Johnny Walker Black to Guimba the day I signed my Notice of Termination.

I had my first 3 bottles of Red Horse as a Leaver in the final GRAISEA webinar with unused vacation leaves to be monetized. 

I dined on Dampa sa Farmers Market's pricey adobong pusit and baked tahong after being interviewed for a new fixed term contract. 

I endured a potent Porter at Cubao X Brewery and a disappointing dinner at Blackbeard's Seafood Island because I agreed to edit the final GRAISEA report. 

I treated myself to a monster  mug of Chill Top Cubao's house craft beer after sending an email to HR to celebrate a national consultation done. 

I went home with the assurance of still having access to PSRH while my new contract for 01Oct23-31Mar24 is being prepared.  

I have two long riding days this week and one bowling game where I felled bottles of Corona Extra in the second floor on Day 1 after GRAISEA.