Calaidescope World

In the Company of Genius

I have always been quite vocal about my appreciation for real friends. Perhaps now more than in my supposed younger years, I show my appreciation more openly, I enjoy learning from my friends, and I am proud of their achievements (I live vicariously through them. Hahaha!).

When my company assigned me to Bangkok back in November 2000, I could only hope that I would meet "decent people" with whom to pass my precious non-billable time (I don't live to work, you know). Pinky, a friend of mine from college, said she had a brother who used to live in Bangkok and still had Pinoy friends there. She graciously asked Eric to introduce me to his friends, and the rest is, as we say, history. If it wasn't for them, I would have died of boredom or simply gone insane. I suddenly had travelmates, shopping buddies, drinking buddies, movie buddies, badminton buddies, golf buddies.... And yes, the rumors are true, this Catholic agnostic was part of a prayer group.

I also always say that I was very lucky to have fallen into the right group of people in Bangkok. These were not the loud, "feeling", obnoxious, utterly mayabang Pinoy expats with out-of-this-world twangs. The friends I made in (and through) Bangkok are genuine, down-to-earth people, who are grateful enough for the opportunity to experience life in another country. What started out as the Six Degrees of Eric Balighasay became what I thought of as a little support group. And that quickly turned into an international advisory network that answered questions on where to shop, what movies to watch, what books to read, where to party, where to work, how to write a resume, how much salary to bargain for, what cheap hotels to stay in, what the must-see's are in different countries, where to get a good pedicure, how to plan a wedding, what school to send your kids to, how to keep acne away, how to impress someone you like, and how to mend a broken heart.

Some of us are back in Manila, although we don't see each other are regularly as we would like. Some of our friendly Bangkokians are still in Bangkok. Others have moved to Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK, and the US. But time zones and bodies of water cannot keep us apart. And there is always the Christmas Party to look forward to when almost everybody comes home for the Holidays. Thank God for email and the opportunity to share and exchange ideas.

A few months back, Lilit sent me a copy of his screenplay "Hubog ng Langit" (In Heaven's Mold) via email. He said it was his entry for the Screenplay Category for the 55th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. We had also gotten together for drinks that same week where he told our fellow Bangkokians Jemen, Windie, and Coco about it. Now I'm not saying this because Lilit is my friend, but I was truly blown away by his script. I kid you not! It was very well written and I couldn't put it down. I could imagine every scene played out and apparently, I laughed in all the right places. Of course, Father Joey would object and douse us all with Holy Water, but seriously, I cannot find the right words to express how much I actually enjoyed reading Lilit's screenplay. I'm hoping to see it on the big screen as soon as humanly possible. It's that good!

Last weekend, Jemen told me that one of Lilit's dreams finally came true: "Hubog ng Langit" won first prize! And I saw Malou's announcement on Friendster yesterday with our Bangkok group's congratulations. Lilit, we truly are proud of you, and I am very honored to have been allowed to read your work. Just being on your Friendster page is a privilege!

Another success story is Angela's. Chittina and I attended a gathering at n (how do you type "enye", the "n" with the squiggle on top?) in Rockwell where Angela showcased her beautiful hand made jewerly. Very Bohemian. So my type! And I think Jemen will like them, too. I really wish I could be that creative. Angela has crystal anklets, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings for sale at reasonable prices. She also has really cool bags, and Chittina bought a really cute lime green day bag. We hope to set up a "private sale" for family and friends one of these days - we'll keep you posted. Anj, dear, I'm proud of you, too! May silbi ang pagka-kikay mo! And you're living your dream. Not all of us can say that.

I suddenly wish I had something as exciting to share.... Someday, I will publish a travelogue....

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Now, when it comes to birthdays, I'm not half as good at remembering them as my sisters are. So to my godson CK Villafuerte in the Netherlands - a very warm and happy birthday to you (so sorry for the belated greeting). I hope to see you again - live and in person! - soon. But tell your parents to send me pictures, too.

And finally, congratulations to new parents Eric and Joanna Balinghasay. Their son Lorenzo Rufino was born on 11 August 2005 (hey, where are the pictures?!). We look forward to meeting Enzo at the next Bangkok gathering. Cheers!

posted by Calai @ 10:00 AM