After-School Adventure With Margarette!!

- March 11, 2010, Thursday

- Marga asked me two nights ago if I would be able to accompany her to Quiapo's Alexan, since she needed to buy stuff for one of her engineering classes. Obviously, my adventure senses tingled again, and agreed at once to accompany her.

- After school today, I rushed to meet Marga at the Recto-Doroteo Jose LRT border. I, however, had to wait for Margarette around thirty minutes after I arrived at the border; Margarette needed to fix some things in DLSU before she could finally come and meet me.

- I just decided to fetch her in the Doroteo Jose LRT Station by passing through the overpass that connected the two LRT lines. At last, she got off the train at around 1:30, and was surprised to see me at the Doroteo Jose Station.

- We walked quickly to Alexan, so we could finally have lunch and go for a (shopping) adventure.

- There were plenty of people, mostly students, waiting to be served in Alexan. We were holding a number 16 ticket, while the "Now Serving" screen flashed a number 235 I think. (The next cycle would begin after 250.) Since we couldn't leave the store, as we needed to get another number if ever we leave and come back, we just stayed in the store and talked to kill time. By the way, we also saw Hensly - an old friend from high school.

- We finally finished our first and most important agenda for the day around an hour later, and walked straight to Hidalgo to eat at Mofara's Halal Food Haus - the nice casual dining place in Quiapo serving Muslim food. (I first ate here last July, when I had my first adventure on my own, the Wednesday after my solo piano recital.)

- I was glad to see Margarette enjoying our Muslim food (except for my fried chicken thigh - which is not really "Muslim.") The beef rendang now was a lot softer and not as spicy as the first time I ate here. Well, Marga thought it was still hot.

- After lunch, we went straight to the Golden Mosque. Many bamboo poles were present, and I immediately became happy for the mosque - it was being renovated to its former luster and grandeur. I covered Marga's head with my black cloth, which I used as her hijab, although the guy in the information booth said that she was allowed to not cover her hair already. "Let's just cover your hair, to be sure." I told Marga. (Before, we were strictly told that all women who enter the mosque should have their heads covered.)

- The short visit ended with a Slovak couple wanting to enter the mosque, just as we got out of the small door. I thought they were French, and asked if they were in French. "Oh, we're Slovak." The woman said. Assumption fail. :)) :)) :)) :)) (Well, their Slovak sounded a bit French, so I thought they were speaking French. Oh well.) I badly wanted to tour the couple around, but of course, Marga and I were supposed to be on the go.

- The bulk of our afternoon after the visiting the mosque was devoted to shopping in Quiapo. Sad to say, I couldn't find anything I wanted, but Marga had a stroke of luck and was able to buy a nice purple dress for herself.

- We walked straight to Golden Fortune (Soler) after our shopping trip, and had some dimsum. Dimsum is always love. :) :) :) :)

- While walking home after our nice little adventure, I couldn't even remember going to school this morning. I thought that my philo and histo classes a while ago were parts of a mere distant dream or illusion. If I "did" go to school this morning, it didn't seem to be connected to my fun-filled afternoon. This morning and this afternoon seemed to be two different days. Oh well, whatever. At least I got to go around again with a good friend.

- *And again, both of us felt like the clouds were about to pour on us. As always and forever, I kept telling Marga that "the sun is bright and SHINee"* :) :) :) :)