Far From Neutral Notions - Philippine politics, culture and stuff

Funny thing happened on my way to work earlier: I was running late, and decided to spring for a cab because, well, traffic’s always heavy when I commute, and I figured I’d take to the side streets and shortcuts to get there faster. But the cabbie says everything’s OK in EDSA; I tried to think about it but I was in a hurry so I said fine. And wouldn’t you know it, he was right: traffic was light all the way. Then I remembered classes were suspended because of typhoon “EGAY”. Neat. It was still cloudy, but I was actually beginning to get my hopes up: maybe it won’t rain on Saturday, and I could go forward with the climb with nary a raincloud to spoil the trip.

So of course, that’s when things started to go downhill. Isko, FMD’s frontman, texted me. Seems Romeo Lee (yes, THE Romeo Lee) scheduled his Lee’s Night for this Saturday (it’s usually held on a Tuesday), and we’re in the lineup again. For the uninitiated, Lee is… well, it’s actually pretty hard to describe Lee. I’ll tell you one thing, sublime he’s not. He’s been around UP for as long as pretty much anyone can remember, and he’s a blast to be with, telling the most ridiculous stories over a bottle of beer. Or twelve. You know how Pepe Smith says far out, man all the time? Well, Lee’s the Far Out Man.

And my dilemma is in the irony: Lee’s Night is my second most favorite gig to play for, after Big Time Tado in Purple Haze. It’s a once-a-month thing, and it’ll be my last chance to play at Lee’s Night, ever, since I’m packing my bags and heading back to the idyllic shores of my home province. Plus, I hear Snakecharmer’s gonna play too. But it’s in direct conflict with my weekend mountaineering trip. My first — and probably last — mountaineering trip. So here’s the ironic part I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph: last I checked, Lee’s a UP mountaineer, and he’s been egging me to out and appreciate nature’s beauty for as long as I’ve known him.

So um yeah, decisions, decisions.

But in case you’re interested, Lee’s Night starts at 9:30 PM at Mag:Net cafe, AGCOR building, 335 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. It’s almost in front of Miriam College, just go slow and you can’t miss it.

I leave you with this moment of Zen:

The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.

The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

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