Konted's Make My Day: Calle Alix at Club Filipino

Calle Alix At Club Filipino

Calle Alix at Club Filipino was just the right venue for our first get2gether for the year 2012. It has a bar, videoke with wide screen and a complete band instrument set. Calle Alix has a historical significance attached to its name. It was the site where the original Club Filipino was established in the 1800s. This explains the old posters hanging on its walls, depicting a bygone era. Calle Alix was renamed Legarda Street.

There were new faces this time. Ed David, who now stays at Ayala Heights in Quezon City, was the early bird. Dodie Puno, best remembered for bagging a medal in the Voice of Democracy tilt, surprisingly came. He is presently doing business with another classmate, Vic Fadrilan. Mediatrix West, representing her late brother Louie, arrived a little past 5 pm with photography expert Dennis Araneta. Tony Jocson followed a few minutes later. Jocson is a permanent resident of Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Tony Olizon, Ted Aquino, Club Filipino board director Albert Castro, Greg Calixto and Francis Pacheco were exchanging notes, I was busy discussing with Andy Jimenez and Ricky Xavier the merits and demerits of the on-going impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. I was stressing a point when somebody informed me that the defense panel of CJ Corona was holding a press conference several rooms away. Defense lawyers were accusing Malacanang of dangling P100M per senator in exchange for a favorable decision on the TRO issued by the Supreme Court. The impeachment trial is really dividing the nation.

After a short prayer led by Ed Dela Rosa, it was chow time at about 7:30 pm. Served on stainless trays and neatly arranged atop a cloth-draped long table, there were 5 viands: ox tongue or lengua, shredded beef with ampalaya, tempura, callos and pancit. The food really tasted good and there was more than enough for everybody. For drinks, I had Iced Tea.

Always conscious of the time, I looked at my cellphone's watch. It was 8:11 pm.

I knew that my son was waiting at the theater mall of Greenhills shopping complex.

Just about this time too, Ricky Xavier was singing an old song. Reminiscent of the late 60s and 70s. Which was our time. I planned to leave but couldn't do so as I wanted to listen to Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind as sung by Ricky. He knew the song by heart. And I was all ears :

"How many roads must a man walk down,
before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove fly,
before she sleeps in the sand?
And how many times must a cannon ball fly,
before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind."

- Konted