How, how can one manage to lose weight in Bacolod? Especially when one is staying at L’Fisher on Lacson Street, so close to Café Uma and Pendy’s, Calea and Chicken House?
It is very hard.
Not to mention, L’Fisher has a complimentary breakfast, at which one has a choice of:
- danggit (a local fish — served fried, naturally)
- longaniza
- tapa
- tocino
- corned beef
Each of which comes with a choice of plain or fried rice, and an egg.
Self was chatting with the receptionist one day when two Americans came sauntering across the lobby. Self didn’t realize that she’d been waving around her yellow complimentary breakfast card (She always gestures with her hands when she converses, and the receptionist had just handed her the breakfast card) when one of the Americans turned to her and said, “The breakfast here isn’t very good! They only give you one egg!”
He was joking. Probably.
Self murmured something like, “Well, you can always order another egg!”
Really, what is the big deal? Self can never manage to finish everything on her breakfast plate. Lately, the waiter has been allowing self to substitute fruit: fresh mango or papaya or watermelon.
That day, self was wearing a bright yellow shirt she’d just bought from Nordstrom’s Rack in East Palo Alto, one Saturday spent shopping with Sandy.
And the bright yellow shirt matched the bright yellow complimentary breakfast card.
Self adores everything about L’Fisher: from the young women at the reception desk, who always show up early in the morning with their hair damp and a few loose tendrils still clinging to their necks, whose maroon uniforms sometimes look a little worn, who field phone calls and requests from guests with cheerfulness and unflappable sangfroid. Self’s little nest, this hotel has become.
One day, trying to exchange some big bills for smaller change for a taxi, the cashier (at the main desk, not in the Chalet) said, “Ma’am, we have no more small bills.”
Self was taken aback for about three seconds. Then, another guest, who’d been eavesdropping said, “I have change.”
He was a young man, Filipino.
“Thank you very much!” self said.
Then off self went to Virgie’s on San Sebastian Street, for her weekly ration of piaya and mango tart.
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
Kanlaon 