The Spy in the Sandwich

Tracking Sandwich Eaters

Sunday, March 22, 2009

8:07 PM | The Last Four Months

People have been asking me how I've been. "Are you okay?" they would ask, by email, by text, by comments in this blog, by phone calls. Sometimes by postcards. I tell them I am. But often I feel there's a big sense of doubt attached to the way they accept that answer -- as if my own happiness is not separate from the life I used to live. Today, I attended the graduation of some of my friends I used to call my students. There was something about their going out to the world that felt nostalgic, that gave me pause about my life. And so I asked myself, How have I been? Am I okay? I felt that I was. I felt that life had somehow taken on this grand feeling of adventure, and that there was more of that to come. So much possibilities. So many kinds of loves and lives still to taste. And so I made this little "scrapbook" of the past four months, just to remind myself again of the little moments that happened since that December 23, when my whole life suddenly changed.

This was me -- all 174 pounds of me -- that December 23 night.

With Jean Claire Dy in Hayahay. Hours later, everything changed.

January

New Year Party at Boston Cafe with my old friends (in this photo, Joey Alar, Patrick Chua, Gideon Caballes, and Clee Villasor), people I haven't really partied with in years. This was one of the best nights I've ever had in my life.

During a poolside post-New Year party at Patrick Chua's.

Dinner with some Dumaguete artists at Sharon Dadang-Rafol's.

During the farewell party for artist Razceljan Salvarita, who was Bali-bound, at Boston Cafe.

After dinner with visiting poet Danton Remoto, a whole-night karaoke with Gabby del Prado, Alvin Clyde Gregorio, Marianne Tapales, Jordan Carnice, Eliora Bernedo, and other students at Gabby's Bistro.

February

Drinks in Manila with Thai writer Prabda Yoon.

With poet Larry Ypil and playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas during Taboan, the first Philippine International Writers Festival.

At Mag:Net with Jean Claire.

At Mag:Net with fictionist (and gorgeous babe) Ginny Mata and Rock Drilon.

Karaoke somewhere in Tomas Morato with singer/actress Bituin Escalante, poet J. Neil Garcia,
and other writer/friends.

During the Luv Sux Valentine party at El Camino, here dancing with punk poet Jan Paolo Bastareche.

During Balak ug Balitaw sa Tempurahan in the Dumaguete Boulevard, which I directed for Dumaguete's First Arts Week Festival, here with my LitCritters and other participants.

March

During the cast party at Escano Beach, after the play date of Auraeus Solito's Esprit de Corps, directed by Claudio Ramos. Here with Carlo Regalado, Anna Espino, Claudio, Ramuel Reambonanza, Wowie Remata, Aiken Quipot, and Natasha Reambonanza -- almost all of them former students of mine. What can I say, I have the brightest and most talented students in campus, hehehe.

With Ram and Roy Lim, who seems amused by something we're discussing.

Taken only last Saturday. After drinks in Hayahay with Manila-based lawyer Richie Ybanez and fellow teachers Bing Valbuena, and Karl Villarmea, I headed straight to the Graduation Blast Party at El Camino, here with Wowie Remata, Michelle Eve de Guzman, Zusabel Digaum, and Claudio Ramos.

Now