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Current guilty pleasure: 4 in the Morning (Gwen Stefani)

Many thanks to Chong Ardivilla for inviting me to speak before his Philippine Arts class at UP Manila. It was a fun session, though time was short. Chong, a comics fan himself, was the guy who gave Zaturnnah her first full-page feature, during the time he was working for the Manila Standard (I don't know if he knows Ms. Fernandez; I didn't ask).

It's been sometime since I've been in the Padre Faura area. It was only during that UP Manila visit that I had a clear sense of location about the place. At the corner of Faura would be the Philippine General Hospital, with the Supreme Court across it. A short walk towards Robinsons Place would reveal the gate of the Department of Justice. Along the sidewalk, street vendors plied their trade, unmindful that they were taking up half of the pedestrian space. The star businessman at the time was an elderly man who would carve plastic softdrink bottles into plants, using nothing but scissors and a burner. Around five people surrounded him as he effortlessly wove his magic, with one of them being the patient customer who already had one plant in a plastic bag, while waiting for her second plant to take shape.

I've been spending a lot of my time alone lately. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing, nor do I know if it's a subconscious need to do so. I do have a regular coffee buddy on Sunday evenings, and a number of semi-regulars every month, but it's been a while since I've been part of a bigger group.

I guess I've always been partial to smaller groups. Smaller groups mean everyone gets a fair share of airtime, everyone gets equally involved, and the topics slide effortlessly from one to the next. It becomes a relaxed, comfortable, yet dynamic experience. Bigger groups tend to have splinters, and eventually that one big group would soon become two or three smaller groups talking about different things. Sometimes you'd realize that the other splinter group has a more juicy subject going. By the time you're finished with your conversation, the other group has moved on to something else.

Also, bigger groups tend to exercise more self-censorship, especially if it wants to prevent splintering. The topic has to be of general interest, something that everyone can relate to. Not that I'd avoid a large group, though, especially when I know most of the people. I just like the intimacy of smaller groups.

Still, when I'm alone, I prefer to hang out in a public place. Bookstores and cafes are tops. Unfortunately, I've been spending as much money as I've been spending time. Nasty habit.