Weekend In Shangri-la

Saturday I went over to Ipe’s after lunch so he can trim my bush, este, hair. Then afterwards I had to drive back to Makati to meet up with Matthew. Matt is this Singaporean I met almost a year ago. He works for a multi-national company and is in charge of operations in Southeast Asia. Annually he drops by here to check on things; I promised him I’d keep him company on his visit this year. Earlier he had asked me to bring him to a “dance bar that’s PLU*-friendly,” so I told him I’d take him to Bed. *(PLU stands for “people like us” which is another term for “gay”)

We met for dinner in Greenbelt 3 then we crashed at his hotel room at Makati Shangri-la to while away the time until midnight. But when we were preparing to leave, we noticed a flash of light outside the window. When we looked out, it was raining hard, with matching lightning and thunder. He didn’t feeling like leaving his comfortable hotel room anymore, so he invited me to stay over.

Truth to tell, that was the first time I ever entered a hotel room at the Makati Shang. I must say, it’s more posh than EDSA Shangri-la. I like the fact that the bedroom’s layout tries to be different from the usual hotel room layout. For one, the bed is not perpendicular to the wall; instead, it is angled so that you get a partial view of the window. The TV is angled appropriately too. The floor area is bigger; there’s room for a small sofa and table near the window. And in the bathroom, the shower is separate from the bathtub. Then again, maybe this is one of the more expensive rooms in the hotel; after all, his company is paying for this trip. Given the chance to stay over a swanky hotel room for the first time, how could I say no? So we decided to skip Bed and go to bed instead.

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The next morning, we had breakfast at the Lobby. Back when I was still working in Makati, the Shangri-la lobby was one of our favorite hang-outs. Leigh and I would go there after work for a drink and friendly chit-chat. Their sofas were so relaxing, and despite the hugeness of the lobby, the atmosphere there was friendly and comforting. But that Sunday morning the lobby was a busy beehive of activity. Families and other guests were enjoying the breakfast buffet that included—gasp!—sushi and sashimi. I miss the old lobby; but I think it’s only temporary while their hotel café is undergoing renovation.

After breakfast Matt and I decided to roam around Glorietta. He read and saw in the papers the Bench Underwear Fashion Show (with all the beefcake in display) so I brought him over to the nearest Bench shop. He ended up buying a couple of tight tees.

By 5pm I had to part with Matt because I was picking my sister up at the airport (she went to Bohol with my mom). We’ll both be busy during the week, so we might not see each other before he leaves. But I have a standing invitation to visit him in Singapore, and boy I’m so tempted to take him up on his offer. And who knows, maybe I can stay there longer if I can find work there. I love my country despite everything, but I wouldn’t mind getting a higher-paying job outside the country. Besides I do want to experience what it’s like to work in another country.