Friday, Bacolod

Lacson Street is closed to traffic.  Crowds are walking around, happy.

Bacolod is the City of Smiles!

Self likes practicing her smile here.

Don’t worry, be happy, self!  Because you get to luxuriate in this small provincial city, get to chat and eat and call for masahe.  And then, at the end of a couple of weeks, you get to go back.  You still get to go back, how many people can say similar?

The pounding electronic disco music from the 4th floor is giving self a headache.  The party’s supposed to continue till dawn.

She bought banana cream pie and ensaimada from Felicia’s.  The banana cream pie doesn’t have the least tinge of banana.  In fact, it doesn’t even taste like a cream pie.  Except for a dollop of whipped cream on top.  But the ensaimada is fluffy and sweet and also huge.

Masskara is not at all what she imagined.  Self thinks it wasn’t worth flying here just to experience it.  She placed too much reliance on what the driver said.  The same driver who took her to Hinoba-an, who turned out to be feeding information to the troll in Daku Balay, Ida.

Don’t expect gratitude.  Don’t expect anyone to be bowled over by your myriad small kindnesses.

Life is really confounding.  Small provincial cities in the Philippines are really confounding. Relationships are confounding.

No more drivers for self!  Only jeepneys and taxis, from now on.

She still loves hanging out with her cousins.  And she still loves Daku Balay.  And of course the food.  And she loves the way she sees another way to be in the world.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers.  Stay tuned.