Long weekend

The mass ended a few minutes earlier than usual. There were not that many people in the church; the choir sang only one song instead of the usual two during the the entire communion. The more fashionable ones who come extra well-dressed for mass were strangely absent. So were the beautiful people. These were my observations during last Sunday's mass.

Yes, they have gone elsewhere, out of town, maybe; long weekends do that. They also create opportunities for domestic or international tourism to flourish. They decongest Manila streets as well. But I remained at home. As much as I would like to have my little rendezvous around the city or elsewhere, I simply chose to confine myself in my abode. Paranaque happens to be the home of Manila Memorial Park and and the small Loyola. Braving the streets during All Saints' Day is not something I would be doing although my feet have been itching for Makati or wherever.

Besides, I have to rest. The past few days have been very busy, thus, the lack of a new post. I spent a week researching for and writing a paper, and another three days providing service as a liaison officer to nine foreign delegates and one local in an international conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The liaison work was work, hence, boring, but the hotel experience was great. I have to be honest when I say that it was my first time to sleep in a five-star hotel room, which I shared with seven other men, three who snored. I did not even realize there were some snoring that took place since I slept the earliest. It was a good sleep - airconditioned, soft yet compact pillows and smooth bed.

It was my first and last time to sleep with my male friends. The tiring work during the day made me snore as loud as the others. I volunteered to sleep in the ladies' hotel room, on the extra bed, of course. One less snorer in the male's room was one snorer addition in the girl's suite. Guess who didn't get to sleep well this time? Poor Candy.

And of course, I can only reminisce privately the overflowing food I enjoyed during breakfast and lunch. I shall not write them down since I salivate at the thought of it. Let us just say that my breakfast and lunch experiences made me dream of living in hotel rooms for the rest of my life. But I woke up in my simple and colorless room after the three days. The hard bed, the electric fan and the scattered shelfless books all reminded me to get up and prepare my own breakfast. This I did. It turned out I was cooking for a full day's meals. I had fried chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is the life.

Tomorrow will be something else.