Long Weekend April 9, 2008

At work, we follow US holidays so the long weekend that just passed doesn’t apply to us but we still get carried away by the hype. F invited BF and I to go with his family to Canyon Woods to celebrate his parents’ 35th wedding anniversary. He was worried since he’ll be stuck with his family he wouldn’t have anything to so he invites us along. It was such a fun day! Now I’m wondering why he thinks he’ll get bored - his family’s wonderful! Maybe because he’s been living with them since birth, he has seen past the wonderfulness of them already. Anyway, the baby of the family was with us so that was extra fun (baby of his older brother). We had sooo much food! We had CPA (Chicken Pork Adobo), rice (of course), salad (balsamic vinaigrette with strawberries & grapes), bread (focaccia, ciabatta, with herbs, w/o herbs, wheat bread loaf) - which we dipped in balsamic vinegar, olive oil & Parmesan cheese, & lasagna (instead of using ground beef F’s sis in law used meatballs) - this was just lunch! After lunch, we all had siesta. Then when I woke up at around 7 the table was set for dinner already!!! Buhay baboy! For dinner, we still had the bread, rice (of course), eggplant with tomatoes, garlic & balsamic vinegar - super yummy! - fried fish (it was tilapia, I think), steamed okra with bagoong, ensaladang mangga (also w/ bagoong, syempre), pork binagoongan, & left over lasagna. I didn’t eat too much since I was still full from lunch.

After dinner drinks consisted of a 5L mini-keg of Heineken draft beer - which I found too sweet, by the way - red & white wine & juice, hehe. I had both red & white wine and guess what, there was pica pica on the table ready to be devoured! F’s sis in law set up a beautiful cheese plate. It had strawberries, grapes (green & violet), Gorgonzola (love!), cheddar cheese and another cheese that I wasn’t able to get the name of. We also had fish crackers and more bread. I played poker (Texas Hold ‘Em) with BF, F, F’s brother & dad. The first round was just a ‘trial’ round while the next one we had a buy in of P50, hehe. The kuya was joking around that he bets the game will end up with the girl (me!) winning the game, guess what? I did! Hahaha! I joked to BF that we now had money to pay the toll - which is where we actually spent the money on.

It wasn’t that cold in Tagaytay maybe because it’s the summer, I’m not really sure, but it was cooler that night. We slept with the windows open but we still opened the fan, it wasn’t really “Tagaytay cold” enough. Of course, when we woke up food was on the table again. We had sunny side up eggs (I only ate the whites, of course), tapa, leftover eggplant (with garlic, tomatoes & balsamic vinegar) from last night, chili con carne & garlic fried rice. I had a little of everything though I finished up all the leftover eggplant.

We were out of the house by 11am since the owners of the house will arrive after lunch and the caretaker would still have to clean up the house. It was really traffic going back to Tagaytay. We decided to have lunch at Leslie’s - it was super packed! I think we waited around an hour to an hour and a half before we finally got a table. You could just imagine the waiting time before your food is served. We ordered 2 Special Bulalo, 2 orders of Lechon Kawali, 2 orders of Ensaladang Mangga, 3 orders of the Crispy Fried Tawilis, 2 orders of Laing & rice - of course.

While having lunch, another friend of ours I and his girlfriend K texted us that they were in Laiya (Batangas) and asked us if we liked to follow. Since F, BF and I were kinda bitin with the Canyon Woods overnight we replied and confirmed that we’ll follow - not knowing how far Laiya is!!! No one knew it was that far. Anyway, after Leslie’s we made our way to Startoll then Lipa then San Juan then to a dirt road going to the different resorts you can go to in Laiya. I and K were in Pahiyas, so of course, that’s where we went. We got there at 6:22pm already so we didn’t swim anymore, we just waded by the shore and wet our feet. There was a tent of Chowking there so that’s what we had for dinner plus halo halo for dessert, yummy. The boys drank a few rounds of beers and then we settled in the little room. F, BF & I decided to leave Laiya around 2am so as not to get stuck with everyone else who’ll go home the next morning. I was on the bed with I & K then F and BF were on the floor (on cushions). BF was facing towards the bed so he was staring at the space under the bed. He asked F if he wanted to switch places, F asked him if he’s feeling something “funny” that’s why he wants to trade places then BF told him no, he just wanted F’s spot because that’s where the vent of the aircon was. Then F started making up stories about red eyes peeking out from the bed, etc. BF jokingly sat up and pretended to see something then F stood up, opened the lights & panicked because he though BF saw something! It was sooo funny! 2 grown men trying to make themselves one with the corner of the room! Haha! Then and there F decided that he was awake enough to make the drive back to Manila. He was thinking that he didn’t want to travel at 2 in the morning when there was a long dirt road with trees on the side as his only view. I told them its their call, for me I was asleep at the back and didn’t wake up until we were at F’s house already.