dumaguete in march

With several friends and acquaintances marching yesterday, it's nice to know that March in Dumaguete meant catching up with friends. Alumni went back to their alma mater to say goodbye to the remaining people attaching them to the place.

I saw Lyde there on his first two-week leave spent in Dumaguete, ironically ending up with chicken pox but still out with friends (kebs sa matakdan). Monica was there too, celebrating Mark Genove's graduation (finally!). And even if I didn't see them, Galee and Claire and Das went back to Dumsville to drink the promised booze c/o Marianne and Jordan.


Families and friends poured in, prompting some establishments to close for that day just to attend graduation ceremonies (so quaint and very Dumaguete noh?). I didn't actually get to watch the graduation as the ferry for Liloan left at 5pm, but JJ and I did drive by the amphitheater a couple of times just in time to see people in togas lining up and flower vendors lining the gate. (FYI. Eleanor Magtolis-Briones was the commencement speaker).

I think it was a good thing I didn't watch. It would have made me too emo. Too much excitement and relief and victorious glances, smiles and tears would have been to draining. haha. Congrats all the same to the graduates: Jordan, Marianne, Mattie, Micah, Ressa, TKong, Ace, Kim (who inspired Razcel's bro Rianne Salvarita's Daphne series *uy), among others.

Just some updates:
-A new hotel opened up recently, Hotel Camila in the old El Oriente building in front of PNB. It was just P600 for a single/double, with a 24" tv, hot and cold water, carpeted floor, and clean bathroom. Hope they don't increase the rates as I have just found my new home in Dumaguete. hehe.
-JJ just turned 25. We had lunch with his family at Jo's by the Sea.
-I was able to attend the last LitCritters session for the semester. RJ was there (he's currently, according to him, on leave for two semesters from UP), as was Carlos (I liked his "No Vito for Veterans" story), Elysse, Zaki, June, Jord, Marianne, Sir Ian and Twiggy. Our noses bled for the first hour when some discussed their poetics, but we made up for it with foodies: some wine from the ref, KFC bucket, chocolate mud pie from Chantilly, chips and beer. I went to Payag for the Reggaevolution but joined them again at Blue Monkey (beside Memento, near the boulevard) for a night of scandals.
-New ukay ukay goldmine near the old Penshoppe place in Twin Arcade.
-Marianne will soon have a love life. Initials are P.A.
-I just confirmed that someone is gay. :(
-According to Sir Ian, "Ever since I broke up with Mark, I've been finding out more and more about the sex lives of my students."
-June gets drunk with just one bottle of San Miguel Light. Unsa gani to June? "Ang ganda mo, mula ulo, mukhang paa?"
-We planned to go to El Camino's Saturday Graduation Night thing. Sir Ian even texted us to get dressed to the nines. (I only brought my slippers with me--hello it's Dumaguete-- and borrowed sandals from Marianne who carried it in her hands while walking to Hayahay where we all met up). When I went to El Cams around 12midnight, only Claudio, Chuchabel and Sir Ian were there. Easter, Jordan, Marianne, Paul, Lyde and I don't know who else went to... Country Gents. There we were at El Cams getting infuriated with the foreign DJ whose tunes I got tired of dancing to, when they texted they were going to El Amigo because Country Gents was closed. Mao mo.

- I spotted a couple getting off the pedicab near AM PM at 3am. Gihatod siya, uy. :)
-So many new happenings. Who knows the name of that coffee shop beside Silliman Hall again? Vendicio? And who can stand the huge truck and small car combo that carries the posts of the new Robinsons Mall and drives by Silliman Avenue every 30 minutes or so?


That's it for now. The next time I'll be in Dumaguete will probably be in May pa. I'm sure though that Bethel's halo-halo, Chin Loong fried chicken and shanghai fried rice, Sta. Teresa adobo will still be there. I'll be back soon!