I told Namtab Pots that I want to eat in a restaurant that serves cupcakes similar to those in the Netflix show Sugar Rush. I had recently seen all episodes of the show while recuperating from something, and the creations of the contestants just made me want to smear my mouth with icing and cake. Of course we got lazy and just ate somewhere convenient, what with the sporadic winds and rain. We didn’t get to eat cupcakes, and instead had something totally unrelated: duck adobo, some beef something, and some pasta with pepper in Wildflour. It was my third time to eat in Wildflour, and still found it quite overpriced. Because Paul has a BPI credit card, we were apparently entitled to more treats for free, so we were able to take out five slices of cake. In an attempt to burn all these calories I watched The Ultimate Beast Master the following day, where international athletes go through an obstacle course. These extreme athletes just hanging from bars and jumping from one platform to the next made me feel like I already did some kind of workout, even if all I did was sit in front of the TV munching on a Classic Opera Cake.

Ruth Marks had said that he would try to make it to dinner, which signified that he might not come at all. So we guilted him by saying that in almost a week, it would be our friend Jericho’s first death anniversary, and that this dinner would be some sort of a commemorative event. Yes, shamelessly using the dead friend card. We used a different card before, long before one of us actually died. I would tell them that now would be the perfect time to meet for dinner, when I am still able to walk, and not when I’m gasping and waiting for death in a villa by the beach. This scene of wanting to die in front of the sea is apparently a reference to a Vilma Santos movie. (Update: Ruth Marks says it’s Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga)

Had drinks in Barcino afterwards, which Ruth Marks paid for because, as he reminded us, it was his birthday a few weeks ago. Should have used that more innocuous guilt trip card instead. We miss you Jericho!

***

Looks like printing and all that will make it to the MIBF, so here’s something from my publisher, Milflores Publishing. http://www.milflorespublishing.com

Since being purchased by Atty. Pasion-Flores a couple of years ago, Milflores Publishing has produced the following books:

1. Harvest Moon: Poems and Stories From The Edge of the Climate Crisis (anthology)
2. Epithalamion by Nick Carbo (poetry)
3. At Home With Crazy by Katrina Martin (YA novel)
4. Rizal in Saga: A Life For Student Fans by Nick Joaquin
5. Why Keanu Reeves Is Lonely And Why The World Goes On As It Does by Simeon Dumdum, Jr (poetry)
6. White Lady, Black Christ by Charlson Ong (novel)

Hurricane K then reminded me that I have, in fact, authored my first book back in 2010. It was a thin, educational book for the lay entitled “Fatty Liver”, which was part of our research requirements in internal medicine residency. It was sold in National Bookstore, and the proceeds all went to Sagip-Buhay Foundation which provides funds to the indigent patients of the PGH internal medicine wards. So “Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer” might very well be the unintentional (and non-educational!) sequel of “Fatty Liver”, which was, coincidentally, also published by Milflores Publishing when it was still under a different management!

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