Having had some restless (read: not so good) past two days stemming from news in the work department, I thought that my weekend was shot and I would have to contend with saying goodbye to it in a harried state.
I really needed this Sunday to salvage what was left of the weekend.
And it did.
It started out with a run with a client who has now become a friend in the process. (While the blurring of lines between personal and professional has always been something I have approached warily, I find that in the context of Philippine culture, the advantages of this blurring are far greater than the disadvantages.) We talked about many things during the run - it's always a pleasure to talk to her, as she is very well-traveled and I get to, even if only for a moment, savor her trips and experiences vicariously.
Now, to those who know me, I am not a fan of running, and do not find it hard to "resist" the running craze that has overtaken the metro, what with marathons happening every week, sometimes 2 or 3 happening at the same time. That reticence can be traced to a very weak ankle, one that has been instrumental in producing the most excruciating pains I have ever experienced - and I'm including the ear operation I had years ago where I was conscious to relive every gnawing moment. I would sign up for the ear thing any day over my ankle sprains. (I had a sprain once that was so bad, my entire foot turned black - yes, the foot, not just the ankle - and I had to stop work for one and a half months. I guess that wasn't a "simple" sprain, after all.)
But when we do run, it seems like I could do it forever, primarily because we enjoy each other's company. And the conversations are always, always interesting, to say the least. And I find that to be truer every day, as I get chronologically older. (I just had to qualify that.) You can be stuck in the stinkiest of situations, but when you have good company to help you commiserate through it, it makes things bearable and even doable.
Our route is a secret one, but one that passed by a known Italian restaurant. (I guess this won't be secret for long, haha.) And when we did pass by it, she told me, "Okay, we will have to stop for breakfast now."
And we did.
She had a Filipino "medley": a delectable combination of Vigan longganisa, tuyo, corned beef, fluffy soft scrambled eggs, garlic rice and fruits.
I had Eggs Benedict (pictured above) with a distinct Filipino twist: It had adobo flakes instead of the imported meats you see in the eggs above, which was made by Gordon Ramsay.
The oohs and aahs were so audible, people kept looking at what we ordered and wanted to have the same thing.
(I'm not really sure where the "Italian" part comes in. But I'm not complaining.)
And after we were done (the gastronomic moments punctuated by strong coffee), she turns to me and says: "Oh, shoot, how are we supposed to do yoga now?"
Which sent us into gales of laughter.
I wish your Sunday is going as swimmingly good as mine has.
simple pleasures! ;-)
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