Sa Tabi

Wifey on the cellfon: nasaan ka nanaman?
Dagul: dito lang sa tabi
Wifey: hoyyyy lalake –pinahanap na kita sa lahat ng sulok

ng bahay at subdibisyon– nawawala ka nanaman
Dagul: dito lang ako sa tabi
Wifey: pinaglololoko mo ako
Dagul (irritated) : sinabi nang dito lang nga ako sa tabi eh
Wifey: Nakuuuuuuuu – ewan ko sa iyo
Blogggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

I raised my bottle of San Mig to my lips and chugalugged my irritation away. Sisig with rice and a grilled tilapia completed my private moment.

Sa Tabi is a typical sidewalk food grill
A hole in the wall adorned by monobloc chairs and electric fans,
It is a carinderia cum ihawan
Where I can drown myself in cheap beer
Banter with drivers, messengers, low tier office workers and the like
It is the real world with real people
And I feel comfortably part of it all …

All eyes are glued to a small TV watching a basketball game
Stories are told of how tough the times are
Laughter is released at the slightest provocation
Sweat flowing down from our foreheads
We reek of the smell of grill smoke
Our breath tainted by the power of beer

It is an anti-thesis to the fine dining that I often find myself indulging in these days,
But it is somehow not foreign to me
For this after all - is where I came from
And places like this will always be home to me …

"Bosing - isa pa ngang light ..."

"ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan"

Sa Tabi

sa tabi tabi, bandang Reposo

papunta sa JPRizal, Makati

walang telepono

walang website