last night

Last night was one hell of a night. After promising Annie that I will help her on her MBA thesis, I found myself committing to go alone at a fine dining Argentinean restaurant. I only have HK$300 (no joke, I remitted my month’s salary since it’s my sister’s grad) to last me until the end of April, and the cheapest meal there costs about HK$140. And you still have to take into consideration that you have to order red wine, and don't forget about service charge. But a promise is a promise, right?

So armed with my last bucks, a pair of high heels white sandals and a dress with an unbelievably low neckline, I was off to La Pampa restaurant. The task is actually simple, eat (and pretend that you don’t feel ripped off) and then approach the master chef (who happens to be a Filipino) for a brief interview. I made it a point that I come there an hour before closing time so I can excuse him since he should be finished cooking steaks at that time.

So I ordered Brochette de Pollo, grilled chicken with skewers, bacon and mashed potatoes. That meal is the second to the cheapest - $148. It took around 30 minutes for them to serve the dish. It means I only have half an hour to strategize how I can approach Kuya Tito, and to think how I can survive two weeks with a measly $100.

I am really a shy person. I do not know how to produce a punchline to spark a conversation. I am an anti-social. After too much thinking, I decided to just come back some other time, or just lie to Annie that I had been busy with work matters that I didn’t have time to go there. But I was like: I can’t put my $200 down the drain. And I won’t accept the fact that I wore this dress for nothing!

While I was busy debating with myself, I see Kuya Tito leaving the premises with his backpack. He’s about to head home! And I was just halfway finished with my $150 meal! But I do not have much choice so I signaled for the waiter to give me my bill. But before he comes with my bill, I ran for Kuya Tito outside the restaurant.

And the interview just happened naturally. Of course I had to expose my half-bare chest so he can accommodate me.

Dig this: I did not pay for my bill! After my introduction, he said we can go back inside the restaurant and discuss the questionnaire. He then signaled for the waiter to waive my bill since he knows me personally. I suddenly remember a line from Ala Paredes’ blog when she described a bar incident that involved her friend. YOU’RE TOO BEAUTIFUL TO PAY.

And don’t forget the dress!
And it was so easy. I was able to ask him the questions in Annie’s list in less than ten minutes. He said he’s going to some inuman session in a bar nearby and he asked if I want to join him. He said I will not feel out of place since a Filipina will be there. I had to reciprocate the generosity that he showed, so I accepted his offer. Also, I suddenly realize that I can gather more information for Annie’s thesis when I smooth talk him over some drink.

We went to Empire Bar. And I was introduced to La Pampa’s Director, and the bartenders of Empire who happened to be Filipinas. I initially asked for an iced tea. Then Cristy (one of the bartenders) served me a glass of red wine. By 0130 I was too wasted and groggy to function, but I still manage to show an interested aura and hold conversations. The other bartender, a nice lesbian, is kind enough to talk to me. I found out that we even have common friends, small world, eh? She has friends who were my classmates in high school.

Kuya Tito gets his phone and rings another friend who happens to be a Filipino manager of Bacar Bar. He asks me to accompany him to Bacar and chat with Evan. I nodded. We were served another glass of red wine in Bacar. After thirty minutes of casual conversation, they decide to return to Empire. Both Evan and Cristy are from the Bicol region and it will be nice to introduce them to each other. Upon return to Empire, I asked for another iced tea. After that, Cristy served me a Frente Branca plus coke cocktail. It is horrible for a non drinker like me!

We rode the same taxi and I reached home at exactly 0330. I have work at 0900! I quickly brushed my teeth and headed for my bed. I forgot that I washed my sheets and I have yet to put new ones. But I was too tired to even bother that I just rested my body in sheet-less bed.

Suddenly, I find myself unable to sleep! It must be all the iced tea! I try to avoid caffeine as much as I can, so I really get sleepless nights if I have intolerable amount of it inside my body.

I wasn’t able to sleep until 0600.

I had to get up at 0730 because of grumbling stomach from all the concoctions I had a few hours ago.

Now only 15% of my brain is working. Good thing there isn’t much work to do.

But overall, I am happy because I still have my $300 intact, I have contacts from bars that I can go there for free and I helped Annie. So much for reciprocating her hospitality in my Macau hibernation.

By the way, Kuya Tito is 54 years old.

Sometimes, a woman is really too beautiful to pay.