October 2 was my kumpare’s (Mico) birthday party at his house in Sta. Ana. I think I’ve only been there twice and this was the first time that I went there by myself. I was planning on leaving early but it didn’t happen because I waited for my Holga to be delivered because I was excited to use it. I just took a cab and I was pretty lucky because the cab driver where it was and he knew how to avoid the traffic. I even freaked out because we took the road where there were lots of motels and the cad driver was signaling left to one of them. So, I asked why we’re entering and he said it was a short cut to avoid the traffic. Haha! Apparently lots of cars take that road to avoid having to turn at the end of the street.

When I got to Mico’s place, he immediately mixed me my drink which was whisky and soda. Haha! People kept asking me where Armin was maybe because they were expecting we’d go there together. Even Armin’s bro asked me where his kuya was. I just shrugged my shoulders and told Mico that he didn’t want to go there early so he wouldn’t get drunk. But after a few minutes, he arrived already and the fun started.

It was a night filled with talks about basketball, UAAP and NCAA in particular, boxing, casino, and a night of kulitan. Armin and I moved to the table where Chino, Mico’s bro, and his friends were seated. I got to know Chino more and he is a very bolero kid, I’m telling you. He said I looked younger than my age… I looked more like a 26-year rather than what my real age is. Haha!

Now, everybody there refers to Armin as idol. I asked him why and he said probably because they couldn’t remember his name, which wasn’t the case of course. But after hearing about my countless drunk tales, Chino told Armin that from thereon he’ll be calling me idol instead and he now calls Armin idolize. Haha! Chino is about 11 years younger than us and I think we’ve been together twice only. Nakakatuwa siya, and he’s also so makulet like his bro. And he’s the one who served us beer all night and would even apologize if he didn’t notice we already finished our drinks. Haha!

Of course, Mico’s cousin, PJ, was also there and he said he missed me and Armin! Haha! Namiss niya ko asarin kamo! Whenever he sees me, he tells this story that I threw up in my godson’s christening party, which I didn’t. Promise! Armin said nangungulet lang daw si PJ. But he wouldn’t leave me alone everytime! Kulet talaga! I told him that one time I’m gonna throw up at him so he would shut up! Haha!

It wasn’t all about me that night, I wasn’t the only on a hot seat. There’s Ping, Chino’s friend, whom we now call “Damot.” Haha! Mico asked someone to borrow a poker table but there was a miscommunication and Ping wasn’t able to bring it. Everytime Mico went to our table he would ask Ping “Pare, ba’t naman ganon?” Haha! And the topic just wouldn’t die until we already went home.

I didn’t get drunk that night… well, only a little, but I wasn’t wrecked. But I still crashed Armin’s room because I didn’t want him to drive me all the way to my house anymore. It was already late and I didn’t want to worry about him going home drunk.

We just bummed in his room the next day, sleeping and watching TV, and I went home around 3pm. It was fun and I’m glad I came to the party.

September 10, Wednesday after lunch, I left home to go to Armin’s place but before I could step out of the house it started raining. Parang ayaw akong paalisin eh no? And as much as I hated it, I was forced to bring an umbrella. My sister said it was raining hard in Makati and it’s super traffic so I took the MRT. I got off Magallanes station and got lost going out the MRT station. Haha! What a way to start my adventure! And of course it was still raining so I had to use my umbrella but still got wet. I was thinking of taking the bus but decided to just take a cab to Armin’s house. When I got there para kong basang sisiw. Kawawa naman ako. I washed my slippers first kse puro buhangin, I didn’t even know how I got it, and then I dried my hair. After about 30 minutes, we transferred to the house next door where his brother is staying. He and his cousins fixed the place where we were going to stay while his brother was cooking the food. He cooked sisig, yellow fin tuna in coconut milk, fried tofu and calamares.

The party began. We had Brandy… there were also Absolute Vodka (para daw sa nagi-inarte), Black Label and San Mig Light but I had the brandy… at least tested ko na yon, ibang brand nga lang. We used to love Fundador, wala kseng hangover but that night we had Gran Matador. It was my first time to drink Gran Matador and Armin was the one fixing my drink, he mixed it with soda, and he was like a bot, everytime he saw my cup empty he’d fix me another one.

People started arriving… gosh they were all boy. Doc wasn’t able to drop by because he still was on duty but Mico did and I was really glad to see him! Mico’s my kumpare and the last time I saw him was last July, on his son’s birthday (my godchild) and as always I got drunk again. Good thing that he had two girls with him, yun nga lang hindi ko kilala. Haha! Anyway, we talked about what’s going on with each other’s lives, work, basketball and Manny Pacquiao. Armin would introduce me whenever someone arrived, give me a little background about the person, ganon lang. Para siyang may alaga, he’d fix my drink, ask me to eat, accompany me to the bathroom or ask his brother or his cousin to look after me. Haha!

Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without Armin starting a fight or an argument with me. Mico kase wanted to talk to me so I transferred to the seat beside him. So, we talked… he asked me if he’s the reason why hindi ako nagsasasama sa barkada. I assured him it wasn’t him and besides baket naman magiging siya eh hindi nga kami parating nagkikita or nagkakausap. Then ayon na… nagtatampo daw siya sa kin and he wasn’t very clear why. So anyway, we patched things up by drinking. Haha! And he made me drink with the guy beside me… I can’t even remember his name. Haha! And that did it! Pina-straight niya sa kin yung isang glass and after that I went inside the house to throw up. Armin stayed with me first to make sure that I was okay. He gave me a bin where I could throw up and he asked his cousin Tetet to look after me. After a while I went out again. Caloy was there and Mico and the gang went home already. Caloy is a friend of Aarmin’s whos’ also an officemate of Mico. They were talking about him earlier lang kse makulit daw. Anyway, I just said hi to him and then I stood up again because I felt like throwing up again. I just stayed outside the door and Armin gave me another bin, in case I threw up. Then after a few minutes he washed my hand and we went back to the table. I stopped drinking already and just asked for water and some ice chips. Dun niya na ko inaway… he wanted me to go to sleep already and I told him not yet because I knew that as soon as I lie down I was going to throw up again. So pinapababa ko muna yung tama ko and still waiting kung magto-throw up pa ko. Good thing naman hindi na and when we went to sleep diretso na yung tulog ko.

The next day when Armin woke up, he was laughed at me. Buti na lang daw hindi niya sinabi sa tropa niya na malakas akong uminom kse mapapahiya daw siya. He didn’t count how many glasses I had but he thought about it and said third bottle na daw nung nag throw up ako so madami nga daw na yon. Wala lang, andon lang kami sa room nila, kwentuhan and watched a lot of tv. Most of the time we slept. He just let me rest. Then kinwento pa niya na I called Cielo daw on the phone, hindi ko na maalala sobra. And I asked him why he was arguing with me the night before and he said it seemed like I hate going to sleep.

Around 4pm I decided to go home. Hindi niya ko mahahatid because meron siyang commitments for that day. I forced myself to go home na kahit super tamad pa ko because I didn’t want to stay there anymore kse kakahiya. Yeah, I’m shy pa ng lagay na yan! Haha! Hinatid niya ko dun sa sakayan ng bus near EDSA and he waited na makasakay ako and asked me to let him know if I was home already. Around 5 pm he texted me asking me where I was… naka-reply ako mga 6pm na, I forgot to text him. Haha! He said he received na daw yung scrapbook page niya. I had it printed in Digiprint and sent it to his house. He like it and I’m glad!

So that’s it… another one of my drunk tales. Haha! Sabi nga ni Armin at least daw naa-achieve ko yung goal ko na maging wreck pag umiinom. Korek! What’s the use of drinking kung hindi ako wreck and not having fun! According nga to Dave “Live for the moment.” Haha! And I also already figured out why I threw up… I thought I ate lunch that day, yun pala yung day before yung naiisip ko. So it’s not really gross kse puro water lang yung tino-throw up ko.

I forgot to mention that I lost my earring and I didn’t know how. Armin’s bro just gave me one of them when I was leaving. Armin asked me where the other one was and I had no idea. And I felt like Armin and his bro conspired against me. Armin pala took a lot of pictures when I was throwing up and then a couple of days later, his bro added me to his Friendster and saw that he posted the photos on his account, including all my solo pics! Hay buhay.

Ading celebrated her 32nd birthday last Saturday, September 6, and called it Alcoholympics 2008. I came with my dear friend, Armin, and it was really fun! G and Gari, my officefriends from Fuzzyworks, were also there so it was like a mini reunion. Alcohol was free-flowing that night, both shooters and draft beer, and there were also lots of food and not to forget isaw! The draft beer was SMB and the the shooters were brought to you by the not so sober Soberclub.

Armin and I were supposed to meet in Galleria at 8pm and he was late. I texted him around 7:30 pm to ask where I would wait for him and he didn’t respond. It was already 8 pm and he still wasn’t responding. I got a little worried so I called him at home and his mom answered the phone. She told me Armin left their house around 2pm and when I asked if she knew where he went, she said “secret.” Haha! I told Armin about this and he said that’s what he tells his mom everytime he’s going out. So anyway, I called Mac and asked if he knew where Armin was and he said Armin told him he’d meet me in Galleria and thought he was already there. Sus! Turned out that his phone was on silent mode and he didn’t hear it when I called and I didn’t ask anymore where he’d been. So he arrived around 8:20 then we headed to Ading’s party in Valle Verde 3.

G and Gari were already there when we arrived and I didn’t recognize them because G gained a little weight. I introduced Armin to them and party time! Haha! There was a mini bar and they were serving shooters that comes in a variety of colors and flavors, what exactly were in those drinks I never knew. We started drinking draft beer and after a while I started going to the bar to get some shooters and brought it back to our table. Armin and Gari tasted some and described it as Albatross and all the other air fresheners, even My Shaldan and Aqua Net. Haha! Of course they were just trying to gross me out but it didn’t work. The shots actually tasted good and most of it, you wouldn’t even taste the alcohol in it. Sobrang halo-halo ininom ko and all I could remember were tequilla, vodka and lambanog… and of course my ever reliable SMB draft beer. There was this brown thing pa that looked like chocolate and they made me drink a tequilla slammer and one flaming shot. And the bartenders were nice, they were patient with me and kept repeating their concoctions because I asked them over and over again and kept forgetting. Haha!

Ading was a very funny host! She kept singing and would call people on the mic making them react first then say different funny comments like “Wala lang, tinatawag lang kit” and “B, o upo ka lang dyan” and one time meron pang “Armin, you look bored. B kiss mo muna!” Haha! Kakahiya! Para siyang nagro-roll call and nobody dared sing on the mic except her and a few of her close friends who didn’t show their faces while singing. After awhile don na ko sa bar umiinom. The bartenders would give me different kinds of shooters and there’s this girl named Richie, nilalaseng yata ako… pa-shot ng pa-shot pero once lang niya ko sinabayan. Haha! Funny thing was Armin knew how much shooters I had… he counted it and he was able to count it even if I was way over to the bar. I had daw at least 30 shooters. And when they were already closing the bar, the waiters were transferring the leftovers in glasses and I drank pa daw one whole glass, I don’t know which one or what flavor, hindi ko na siya actually naalala. Basta alam ko lang I spent too much time on the bar. Haha! 

We were the last ones to leave the party, kwentuhan muna with Ading, a little serious and sentimental but it was still fun. I missed these guys sobra! Then Armin and I went home to our house. The next day, when Armin woke up, he saw my clothes from the night before scattered on the floor. He laughed at me and said that even my clothes were drunk. Haha! He had to leave early because his brother would be attending a wedding and he’s going to use the car. I walked him to his car and that’s when he told me how much shooters I had. 

So, that’s it! Til my next drunk tale!