An Afternoon at the Mall

The Los Banos Gang hits the Town

December 2001

It was at noon on a Saturday -- Mike's last day on compassionate leave from work to attend to his ailing mom -- that we all agreed to meet.

The guys that were coming were me, Angie O, Mackay Q, Allan V, Celso A, and Mike.

I was assigned to collect steedless Mike, but earlier in the week he had told me that he probably would have a ride.

I texted Mike early Saturday and he did have a ride. Lazed around the house in the morning, catching up on Harry Potter's adventures with the Goblet of Fire. That was quite a neat trick solving the first task with a summoning charm and his broomstick. And thank god for Hermione -- where would Harry be without her.

A little before noon, the cellphone started beeping: Allan was en route. Around noon, Angie rang to say elle est arrivee and where was I!.

So off to the Town I went, limping (aaiiee -- age!) over to Powerbooks where I met with Mike and -- left to right -- Arlene (blue shirt), Shane (tutti frutti) and Isabel (stripes).

Angie and Allan soon found us in the Corte de Las Palmas and off we went to gorge on Thai food at Dusit Thani.

The last native member of the gang that did finally make it was Mackay who caught up with us around 2 in the pm.

Unfortunately we given up on her arriving in time for lunch so she had to eat from the inevitable doggie bag that Pinoys insist on taking with them from the restaurant.

Well, not really. Mackay ate something fresh, I don't know what it was, but it was fresh.

Para sa mga nakalimot na ng mga natives, left to right, Angie, Jed, Mackay, Allan

After lunch, Mike who had been taught how to play pool by Arlene invited us to the Efren Bata poolhall. He challenged Allan to try and beat Arlene at eightball. And the ungentlemanly Allan did, to our collective embarrassment. (Joke only, Allan, ha.)

Later Allan and I played a best-of-3 match against Mike and Arlene. And we won (the ungentlemanly us! *&^%$#@)!) We won because I had continuously cast spell after spell (shades of Harry Potter) as the game progressed. A few of the more effective spells included "Inholium certium" to guide the ball to the pocket; "Incantorum canto" to put the ball in the corner pocket; "Visio confundo" or the more malevolent "Aspectus defectus" to blur the opponent's aim; "Reverbium totium" to jar the table; and of course the main spell "Musculus tremulus".

Pool Shark victorious Victorino

Poor sharkbait Arlene


And of course I insisted that we take pictures to immortalize the occasion. These follow below

	Angie, Mackay, Allan, Arlene, Shane, Mike and Isabel. We decided to take pictures under the escalator because the guys were too embarrassed to pose in a more public spot and look like tourists, or worse, be branded promdis. Aba, si Angie lang ang promdi, a. Di ba, she lives in Canlubang?

Same people. Still hiding, but perhaps a little more relaxed. A camera will do that to promdis.

Angie, me, Allan, Mackay, Arlene, Shane and Isabel. Definitely more relaxed. Look, two even let their horns out.


We parted at dusk (Celso never showed) and Mike headed home to pack for his flight back to Dubai at 11 that evening. It was just another hectic bonding day in the continuing journal of the barkada.

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