01/11/2014

So, this past December was my quadrennial holiday (or vacation) out to the Philippines. Well, it was close enough to four years as the last time I was there was March 2010. But my first trip was December 2009. I’ve always liked going out there and knew I would have a blast even if I had no agenda. I knew where I was going, and where I was staying. And that’s all I had planned. Being American and currently living in England, my vacations have more or less happened to be a couple of trips home over the 3.5 years that I have been here. Anyone who has moved out and have been on there own for more than five minutes knows that any trip home is not a vacation. In fact, for me, I think it is more than work than work itself. The family, the obligations while home, the relentless boring questions and trying to figure out what to do gets old after a day. Plus, since I am home and not working, all my friends who still live there do work. When that happens, it’s a guessing game as to when they will have free time to hang out and catch up. No more of that.

Back in October (or very, very late September. I can’t remember which exactly now) I was lying in bed one Sunday night and thought to myself, "You’re about to go back to the States in May…why not take the trip you’ve been wanting to take before you’re even farther away and tickets are more expensive?" So, from there I got a wild stick up my ass about saying "Fuck it" and got permission to take leave, bought my tickets and booked my hotel. Then came the waiting game of when I would actually be leaving. So brutal. But I did it. After years of putting it off, on the 6th of December I was off. Then I remember how long and boring flights around the world are. I should have known better. In my life I’ve gone on trips from Atlanta straight to Seoul. Tokyo to Minneapolis. Detroit back to Tokyo. Singapore to Cleveland. (not recommended. Ever.) So, in comparison, London to Clark Airport in Angeles City was almost a breeze. If it wasn’t for an 8 hour layover in Dubai anyway. Talk about being bored to hell. At least when I went to board the plane in Dubai, they upgraded a bunch of people to Business Class. So that was nice. The customs Agent when I landed in the Philippines has this look of shock and amazement when he asked how long it had been since I had been to the PI. Maybe it was because I rattled off the date so easily or since it had been so long in between visits he was just shocked I came back at all. Bags were picked up. Hotel taxi picked me and another guy who was staying at the same place up, and away I went.

Ten minutes later, I was home. I had all but forgotten what it was like to stay at this place. Of all the places I have been too in my just under 30 years of living, there has never been a place that I have stayed where the people treat you like this hotel does. There’s 24 hour security, door service, taxi service, food service, pretty much anything you want. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has expanded since the last time I was there. They have added a new wing to it, expanded the pool area and have added another restaurant on the ground floor. I wasn’t interested in all that, at least at the time. The only thing I wanted was to get to my room, take a shower and change clothes. After 24 hours of traveling, it was needed. Upon deciding to take the holiday I wanted and to do what I wanted, I had also booked the room that I wanted. Now, this is my third stay in this hotel in as many trips. (Technically, I stayed twice in the same trip after going about the country for a few days. Then I stayed again for a few days before my flight back to Singapore. My second trip, I stayed somewhere else. Stupidly.) When I booked my room, there was a specific room that I wanted. Well, one of either two rooms that were next to each other. You see, the hotel is open in the middle. And that’s where the restaurants are and also where the pool bar is. Well, right there by the pool bar are three rooms. Two close ones and one that is tucked away in a corner. Luckily I didn’t get that one. I got the middle one which was good enough. That meant, I could walk out my door, take ten steps and sit down at the bar and order a drink. Now, that’s good holiday planning. Except, I didn’t plan for the people who would be outside during the day in the pool or the music that was playing right outside my window. Not a huge deal, but I digress. It was the room I wanted. The location I wanted. And it was awesome. Except for at the beginning of the trip when I left my door open while having a cigarette outside and a bunch of mosquito’s come in and bit me all to hell. Win some/lose some.

That evening after my shower and change of apparel, I went out to the pool bar and was greeted by people I had not seen in almost four years. Some I was surprised were still there. A lot of new faces, as well. Which is always nice. New people to get to know. I stayed there pretty much the rest of the night. Nothing worth wild to report. The next day once I decided to finally get out of bed and join up the outside world, I walked over to the bar and was enthusiastically greeted by the night shift supervisor, Arlene, who was one of my closest friends there. I met her my first trip there and aside from all the hoopla that goes on there, she was someone that I could sit and BS with for hours about stuff, like we had done before. That night a bunch of us from the hotel went to this live music place down the road. It was nice to hear something live other than the normal shitty music that is blasted in clubs and bars these days. We ended up staying until close to 4am. I had every intention of going to bed but I ventured out (plenty of places open all night) and met up with everyone again and went to this place called the Margarita Station. Ordered some lumpia, got a margarita, played a bit of pool, and then went home. I knew when I walked into my room it was still a bit dark, but when I emerged a few minutes later, I looked up at the sky and it was starting to get light. Just then I looked at the time and realized it was past 6am. It’s been a long time since I have stayed up that late. And it wouldn’t be the last.

That trip to the music venue was important because it set up the events of the next two weeks. I went there with people who worked at the hotel, but also, there was a guest who came with us. The next day he was there again, and again at the end of the night, we went bar hopping. This time, we went the other direction and went into one of the big name clubs there. A good time was had and after striking out with one of the girls that was with us, I went home. I think i did anyway. Despite striking out with the girl, it wasn’t a lack of interest, just bad timing as she had things to do in the morning. So, I saw her again the next night working at the other club that is owned by the same people and again, nothing happened. After realizing I was wasting my time, the next night I went back to the big club and that is where I met this girl named, Precil. It took me a bit to notice her, but when I did and she came over and sat down beside me, I think I was instantly in love. Beautiful eyes (enhanced by color contact lenses that just suck you in), darker tanned smooth skin, a big white smile and a great personality. Winning combination if there ever was one. I honestly had a loss for words for a moment. The first thing that literally came out of my mouth, (besides my tongue that I had to roll back up) was that she was so beautiful. She’s a bit shy, and after my initial, make-her-feel-awkward moment, I gathered myself and then we talked. And drank. And talked. And drank. And had a good time. We left there and I took her to my little getaway spot at the end of the street, an outdoor beer garden. Surprisingly she had never been so it was something different for her. We made friends with the bartender who hooked us up with some drinks. We made it a point to go back there later on when we knew she would be working so we know we’d get good service. After a bit, we left and said goodbye to each other later on the next afternoon. It would be a few days before I saw her again. Well, I did see her a couple nights later, but we didn’t speak as she was trying to fix an issue with her contacts, and I, getting drunk, went back to my room. We did hook up again a couple of nights later and it was even better than the first time. We went back to the beer garden, then walked over to see some of her friends that worked close to my hotel and that was just intense. I don’t think I had ever been with someone who was so passionate, and interesting and as beautiful as her.

After forgetting when I said I would see her again, I did manage to get the group of people I was with to go to the club again and she joined us for some drinks. Before I knew it, the people I was with were gone and it was just myself and her. Not wanting to waste any time, we went back to the hotel, met up with my friend, Teddy, had a drink or two in the restaurant (so much for not wasting time) before having, I think, my favorite night. We got back to my room and I put the TV on so she could find some music or a movie or something. We settled on one of the channels and she was sitting on the couch with a pillow in her lap. Instinctively, I laid my head down on the pillow, she started scratching my head, and I was out. Before I knew it, I woke up freezing because the AC was right over top of us, and we were both passed out just there on the couch.  But it was that feeling of just being with someone in a relaxed scenario like that that I had missed. Too many nights spent alone and not enough human interaction makes you realize what is important and what you crave. More than physical intimacy, I crave those relaxed evenings of not doing anything and just sitting with someone. Sex is great, don’t get me wrong, but a feeling of comfort…that’s amazing.

We’re still talking, too. Who knows how far this will go. We know what we want. We’ve already stumbled. I’m sure at some point we’re going to fall. But I’ll be damned if I won’t make the effort to pick us back up and bring us back to where we need to be.