everything that you are

Lunch was the only highlight of the day. The morning was terrible and the rest of the afternoon was equally terrible as well. Save for B's safe boat trip back to whatever island he's on, the day was rather uneventful. And long. Long because it's freaking 11 in the evening and I'm still writing. And by writing I mean the whole pluma, papel at gasera thing. But instead of a plume, I have my red pen and instead of a lantern, I have my TV on mute. I'm going back to basics. And I'm loving it.

Where was I? Oh, lunch:

"Can we get the bill please," I said to the waiter all the while forming an imaginary rectangle in the air with my fingers.

"Don't do that," he said. He paused before adding, "It's so Pinoy!"

I knew he would say something like that. Ugh. Any other instance, I would have felt insulted but I didn't. I think I may have already grown accustomed to how our talks would often lead to a banter of sorts. Well, that's what you get when you put two headstrong individuals together. But I'm only slightly headstrong so he usually ends up winning. If there's something to be won.

(And I just said those things because there's a chance that he might read this. But actually, I just let him win. Hah!)

Going back.

"Aren't you a Pinoy," I asked him.

And he said, "I'm a sophisticated Pinoy!"

Fine.

And I'm not.

The only thing regal about me is my blood type and that's about it.

Sophistication is not for me. Hence, I will never claim it. I love my carefree, middle-class lifestyle too much to give in to the call of being sosyal. There are so many rules to follow and rules tend to be restrictive. And I love my freedom.

I love being able to eat at Tropical Hut. Watch movies at SM cinemas. Watch local movies at SM cinemas. Consider taking a ride at the MRT. Eat fried calamari being sold by sidewalk vendors. Buy lunch from those things lined-up along the back streets of Makati's CBD. Shop at some department store and have the option to buy apparel from RRJ, Dickies and the like. Laugh out disturbingly loud in public. Hang out at a cafe without ordering anything.

If I choose to be sophisticated, I won't have the benefit of trying out those things. And that's sad. Just think of how much I might miss out if I gave it all up.

However, at the end of the day we don't get to say whether we're sophisticated or not. It all depends on how the people around us perceive our demeanor.

So if they assume that I am one, then good. If not, it's alright. As long as they don't think of me as jologs. Because, you know, that's just eew.

*******

POSTSCRIPT. This is not an attack on you my friend as you might put it. Like how you took this before. World peace and a whole lot of Orchids for you. Haha!

I know that by sophisticated you meant refined. My definition of the word, as it appears on this entry, is a bit superficial and definitely lacking. But it is a very relative term and I don't want to delve on the complexities of the subject at this hour.

I just want an entry. Hihi.