dinner with the doctors

It was almost exactly one year since my highschool friends and I saw Dr. Richelle. Good thing her hubby Dr. Evan had another convention at the PICC. Yehey! We planned to meet at 7 p.m. at the bayside restos at the MOA (Mall of Asia to those who have never been there) since the good doctors were staying at the Manila Hotel. Got there at 7:30 due to heavy EDSA traffic (I think I counted 3 police-escorted motorcades of politicians who were probably doing last-minute campaigning for Monday's elections. Those guys will so not get my vote.) Aileen said they were seated at the al fresco dining area of Gerry's Grill but for some reason, I had a hard time spotting them. Probably because like me, they all looked a wee bit different -- different in a good way. Hehehe.

After dinner (the docs volunteered to pick up the tab, thanks!) we went to Manila Hotel so the docs could give us their pasalubongs. The hotel lobby and elevators were mysteriously jampacked with people wearing traditional Filipino costumes. We were wondering what the occasion was but no one dared to ask a single "Maria Clara" or "Ibarra". As we squeezed our contemporary-looking selves into one of the elevators, the elevator overload alarm sounded off so Evan got off. We didn't notice that Richelle joined him until the doors were just about to close. Good thing Richelle yelled "15th floor!!!" at us, otherwise Aileen, Thirdy and I wouldn't know which floor to get off! Hehehe. Kaya nag-kodakan na lang kami while waiting for the docs.

Richelle and Evan's hotel room was filled with stuff they bought from the MOA! There was just so much stuff that Evan assembled a balikbayan box for easier shipping. We laughed ourselves silly when Thirdy realized that the Manila Hotel trivia (e.g. "Since 1912 pa yung hotel") Richelle told us earlier actually came from the room's TV cabinet, and when Evan and Thirdy came up with hilarious theories as to why there was a single strand of "tingting" (coconut leaf stem) on the bed when Richelle and Evan first arrived a few days ago.



Hay naku, it really is a lot of fun to see friends I've known for almost 20 years.