Copung Copung

Okay, two more stories for one!

Last Monday, I decided to try something "new"- so I went off to a little cafe I had heard about and seen once or twice called Cafe Mesa (cafe table! Har!). I sort of had to drag myself, which is one of the catch 22's of being down- you don't want to do anything, and doing something is exactly what might get you out of the bad mood. Anyway, the place was gorgeous; a little fairy garden hideaway made out of one of the Occupation Era clapboard houses. Food was terrible, as usual, but the drinks and deserts were great. I slowly sipped my Campari and soda and relaxed.

It was quiet, green, and just warm enough, rather than being killingly hot. Just delightful. Then I decided to walk around taking pictures and slowly make my way to Holiday Inn to have another drink at Copa's and then use their car service to go home. Walking around on the SIDEWALK (something else I've really missed, being able to avoid coming within millimeters of being struck by passing cars) taking pictures of the lovely, well kept houses, lawns, and streets free of litter, ratty stray animals, burning trash, and other people's junk, I was so happy.

Then I went to Copa's and I got a text from this guy Tonti, asking me to come to Cofiacd, and that just made my night. Who's this!

So about 2 months ago, an old friend from when I first came here, Arman, set me up with his friend, Tonti, and Arman *swore* this guy was "my type". Since Arman was also the person who picked the one Ives clone in a crowd of thousands, I believed him. And my god, was this guy ever. When I first met him, I was the only girl in a group of 7 guys, and Arman was *determined* to make a match, so he encouraged us to dance (in front of all of club Bossa) to a super slow romantic song. I couldn't (and didn't want to) say no, so we gamely played along, and damn, readers, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.

It was the ultimate meet cute, there we were, two strangers, dancing to like, "Butterfly Kisses" or something awful. But, the good news was, we had mad chemistry- it was like I'd known the guy for years. He had that calm, confident manly thing that turns most ladies to jelly- he wasn't an iceberg, he was just Clive Owen in Duplicity, amused and secure, and wearing a Cartier love bracelet. (even single men wear these over here- it's the "thing").

He's a little taller than me, on the slender side of average, but still 'built', and cute as the day is long- deep dimples, Rupert Brooke haircut, deep set eyes, wide smile, just sweet. And warm, not hard to talk to. Anyway, I don't want to jinx it, so I won't go on and on, but he's the TOTAL PACKAGE here, people.

Anyhoo, that's who texted me (we've been in touch this whole time, he's been traveling for his job which is lecturing for the dept of labor). So we had a ball at Cofiacad, just talking with his friends (two of them were there the whole time, one guy popped in for a quick hi) and then we went to Whyhaus, where we talked about books, movies, politics, culture (well, three out of four of us did, while this sweet, shy dude Benedict (that's a common name over here) dozed with his eyes open and drank beer and smiled cutely, lost in a haze).

It was a welcome change from the usual I get over here, which is either the freeze out and a wall of Tagalog, or me having to explain the economic meltdown using easy words (really happened in class the other day).

So we'll see. We're already in month 2 of what I've now found is usually a MONTHS long courtship process, moving at a pretty fast clip for Filipinos (we've gone out TWICE in TWO months, we're practically married here, folks!) so I'll just lay back and see what happens.
Anne's party!!!

So, this was actually not bad. We grabbed pizza and then toddled off to Flying V to talk shit and drink "off site". Since Anne's leaving, she went nutzo and finally told off a bunch of people at work (well, that's sort of par for the course, but she didn't hold back this time) and was "cleaning out her closet"- as an example, here's a story that involves me!

So, about a week ago, I went out with Davie (I didn't realize it would be my last time, SNIFFLE!) and Anne, and we wound up staying out until 10 AM at voodoo, having a grand old time. Well, this Indian guy that I've nicknamed Dreamboat blew in around 9.30 AM and was kiss-kiss with everyone at the bar, so I took my cue (and readers, I was a tad worse for the wear, here) and toddled off. And I can't get any play at Voodoo anyway, so why bother?

So Anne told me that Dreamboat asked "who's your friend?"

And Anne was like "oh, that's Naomi. And she has a HUGE crush on you!!"

Dreamboat "Well, why did she leave, then! God!"

Anne: "I don't know, but she says you're her Dreamboat, hee hee!!."

Dreamboat "Mmmm....tell her I'll rock *her* boat!"

Heh. Awesome. May I present Anne! Motto: Always Be Closing!

So, several of these stories later, we toddled off to Copung Copung (it means "Long ago" in Tagalog) to eat, drink, and finally break it off around 7 am. Dirty stories, people revealing their crushes, gossip, poor Nikki (the only man there) going a bit green around the gills when one super hottie told a "bathroom" story (that was "ladies only" if you follow me), several buckets of beer, me drinking water so as not to say something I would later kick myself for, and lots of fun....

Don't want to say too much, to protect the not so innocent! But it was super fun.