Amazing [G]race

Today's adventure seemed to be a lost episode of The Amazing Race. I had contacted Grace a few days ago telling her if she would be amenable for a meeting. She was in Manila this weekend and I was happy that she obliged me. The problem was -- oh well, I'll let our [reconstructed, slightly altered for dramatic effect] text exchanges tell the tale. Here's last night's exchange:

Grace: let's meet December 14 (Monday) at 2 PM at UP Diliman. I have to buy some UP Shirts.

Ditch: don't you have a 5:15 flight that same afternoon? and aren't you in Laguna?

Grace: Just got here this Sunday afternoon. Will be in Tagaytay early morning to watch the sunrise and then have brunch. After that, will go straight to UP.

Ditch: [to myself: Tagaytay? sunrise? WTF?!] Are you sure you can make it within the time frame you plotted...early morning Monday traffic is really terrible...

Our text exchanges this morning (around 11 am) and early in the afternoon got freakier...

Grace: Mike, gud am! which is nearer to the airport? MOA or UP?

Ditch: Darling, you have such an abyssmal sense of proximity here in Manila. Why don't we meet in MOA na lang?

Grace: OK, can you buy me some shirts na lang?

Ditch: $%@#! I'm already in the jeepney. It'll take me 40+ minutes to get to MOA. Are you on your way...?

[an hour later]

Ditch: Arrived at MOA na. I'll be waiting for you at Mcdonald's beside the Hypermarket. It's the building with the turquoise colored tower thing...

Grace: I'm on the bus but it might take a while for it to leave.

Ditch: You really sure you'll make it in time?

Grace: Yup! Bus ride will take about an hour then I'll take a taxi ride which will take about 15 mins. See yah!

Ditch: OK. see you then.

At this time I was reciting the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear, replacing the word "fear" with be stressed/get angry/strangle Grace. An hour or so passes. I will not be stressed, stress is the mind-killer...

Grace: Mike, I'm in the taxi na...

Ditch: I'm standing outside the Hypermarket. Don't bother getting out of the taxi. I'll join you and we'll have our chat at the terminal na lang ha?

Grace: I'm here na.

Ditch: Where the $%&* are you?!

The meeting that ensued was much more pleasant, I assure you.


NOTE: again, the cited text exchanges have been fictionalized for dramatic effect. Grace might contest some of the words used in the recreation but in my view those words best summed up my thoughts. If ever Grace decides to blog about her experience, I bet it would have a slightly different take and most assuredly would contain no expletives...