Dating in the 21st Century
I went on a date last Friday. I still call it a date, although technically, when a person goes out on a date with a friend, it's really nothing special. Besides, it's usually dutch treat. =)
What makes it important for me perhaps was my state of mind - I was hoping something would come out with my "date" with him this time, since he's here on my turf. We had dinner last year when I was still working in Manila. He was going to have dinner with another colleague but John was not there when we went to the office so we ended up having dinner together. He treated me to dinner, we talked about life in the University, since he also used to teach in UP, specifically in Los Baños.
During the Christmas party in the office, he was kind enough to give me a gift too (a gift check to Starbucks) so I can have coffee with a friend. We enjoy chatting. I talk a lot and he also likes to share. I am very comfortable with him and we do share the same passion for loving and serving God, which to me is more important than anything else in any relationship in this day and age.=)
This time, I treated him to lunch. Of course he wanted to pay, but I told him, let me. I think part of me simply wanted to make this all sound casual and nothing to be alarmed about, at least it makes me feel safe. We were talking about Iloilo in general and how I dread going home for vacations when I was studying since it meant staying here - when shops and malls are closed at 7 pm (that was back in the mid 1980s)... Well, he said that if I were in Quezon, where his family lives, that would have been pretty much the scenario. Not much places to go to, especially at night.
I took his photo, which is now my screen saver and he took our photo together and also stored it in his phone. He still wants to pursue his PhD, although he did say that he would love to work in UP again when the salary is much higher. I reminded him though that the pay was never an issue for him. He readily agreed and laughed, because he's still working in the company where I had to let go for now...
And now this. My brother just asked me if I wanted to be email pals with his 55 year old landlord who has two sons from his previous marriage. It's hilarious to think that perhaps some people see marriage as a commodity rather than a sacred vow of staying together for keeps. If I were twenty and carefree, the prospect of leaving this country for greener pastures would have been appealing, especially if I wanted permanence in a relationship. The thing is, I'm into middle age, have two loving children whose lives I would rather not disrupt if it were up to me. I'm happily single, and enjoy the freedom it has to offer. I have moments of weakness and need, but I manage to survive and stay sane.=)
I'm still a Juliet, waiting for my Romeo who never seems to see me where I'm supposed to be. Like the tragedy of Shakespeare, perhaps only death can truly bring us together. Although this time, it's simply death to selfish dreams and ambitions.=)
What makes it important for me perhaps was my state of mind - I was hoping something would come out with my "date" with him this time, since he's here on my turf. We had dinner last year when I was still working in Manila. He was going to have dinner with another colleague but John was not there when we went to the office so we ended up having dinner together. He treated me to dinner, we talked about life in the University, since he also used to teach in UP, specifically in Los Baños.
During the Christmas party in the office, he was kind enough to give me a gift too (a gift check to Starbucks) so I can have coffee with a friend. We enjoy chatting. I talk a lot and he also likes to share. I am very comfortable with him and we do share the same passion for loving and serving God, which to me is more important than anything else in any relationship in this day and age.=)
This time, I treated him to lunch. Of course he wanted to pay, but I told him, let me. I think part of me simply wanted to make this all sound casual and nothing to be alarmed about, at least it makes me feel safe. We were talking about Iloilo in general and how I dread going home for vacations when I was studying since it meant staying here - when shops and malls are closed at 7 pm (that was back in the mid 1980s)... Well, he said that if I were in Quezon, where his family lives, that would have been pretty much the scenario. Not much places to go to, especially at night.
I took his photo, which is now my screen saver and he took our photo together and also stored it in his phone. He still wants to pursue his PhD, although he did say that he would love to work in UP again when the salary is much higher. I reminded him though that the pay was never an issue for him. He readily agreed and laughed, because he's still working in the company where I had to let go for now...
And now this. My brother just asked me if I wanted to be email pals with his 55 year old landlord who has two sons from his previous marriage. It's hilarious to think that perhaps some people see marriage as a commodity rather than a sacred vow of staying together for keeps. If I were twenty and carefree, the prospect of leaving this country for greener pastures would have been appealing, especially if I wanted permanence in a relationship. The thing is, I'm into middle age, have two loving children whose lives I would rather not disrupt if it were up to me. I'm happily single, and enjoy the freedom it has to offer. I have moments of weakness and need, but I manage to survive and stay sane.=)
I'm still a Juliet, waiting for my Romeo who never seems to see me where I'm supposed to be. Like the tragedy of Shakespeare, perhaps only death can truly bring us together. Although this time, it's simply death to selfish dreams and ambitions.=)
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