Dumaguete Day 2

Dumaguete Day 2.

I got up around 530am. Am used to it. Early riser is what I am. I lay down for a few moments just to fire up the body.

The shower in my bathroom sucks. The spray is kind of weak and squirts in a dozen different directions rather than one. So when I’m done showering it’s as if I had splashed water all over.

And there’s no heater and the cold water pretty much fired up all my senses.

Now fully awake, I began writing an article that I was to feed to my media colleagues not just in Manila but also even in Cebu and Dumaguete. Obviously, I couldn’t write everything as I needed to interview some of those attending the press con.

It was easy writing the piece since I’m in the mood for it.

Breakfast was at the roof deck and I thought it would be a buffet type. Nope, it was just like any other resto – you had to place your order. I had beef tapa, sunny side up egg, mango juice, and a little toast.

Around 930, I went over to the Maria Luisa Plaza to meet Eilleen, the PR Official of Suzuki to go over the press conference at noon. Along with Dick Emperado, NORFA Prexy, Red Avelino, and a few other Suzuki execs, we head over to Sans Rival for “breakfast”. Talk about an early morning sugar rush. “I’ll be hyper for the rest of the day,” I say through a gulp of coffee that they successfully cajole me into drinking. I stopped drinking java for over a month now. I just had one sip during my son’s graduation but that’s it.

I’m trying to discipline myself with better eating habits in order to prepare for serious training for next year’s XTerra triathlon. Since I am not sure how I’d hold up for the running leg (although I did join the track team in college) and I am definitely not swimming in the sea (after my shark experience in Batangas years and years ago), I chose the bike leg. It’s kind of expensive since I have to buy a bike, maintain it and have it shipped to wherever the race will be. Oh, well. It’s a commitment, I guess.

We don’t stay too long at Sans Rival (I only had sylvannas so I can’t tell if the cakes are good since I am totally laying off that stuff) as we have to go early to the Dumaguete Press Club.

While there, I tweet that the home game of the Azkals will be at Rizal Memorial Football Field and that tickets will be available through Ticketworld. It sets off a bunch of tweets and text messages.

The students from Silliman University who will be working as volunteers arrive and I give them a briefing regarding the registration, ushering, and emceeing the day’s media event. Dumagueteño officials are introduced to me. The father of DLSU striker Al Bustamante who also played for the green and white during his playing days strikes up a conversation and we pretty much chat all throughout – football, Hans Smit, UAAP football, national football, corrupt media folks. Hahaha. By noon, the lobby where we are holding the event is packed that the air conditioning unit cannot cope. I signal the emcee, Maureen, that we should begin around 1230 after most have had their lunch.

The laptop with the national anthem doesn’t arrive on time, fortunately, I prepped the night before by having one of my volunteers ready to lead the singing. And she does it quite well! Always to good to have backup plans, right?

I lead the assembly in the invocation after which Maureen has the various officials talk issue their opening statements. The two coaches who arrived so far – from Iloilo and Leyte – give their statements as do their team captains then we open the floor for the Q&A.

Turns out one of the local press (for a radio station) was a former colleague when I worked for DZRH for a couple of years before I left overseas.

Maureen turns the emceeing job to me as I preside over the Q&A. After a few, just to keep the discussion going, I put the coaches (including NORFA’s Tito Dick) on the spot by asking if they are going to beat the crap out of the other teams. Leyte hurls down the gauntlet when they say they are going to win this hands down. “Salamat na lang sa pagkain pero mananalo kami,” says their team captain. The media and other guests laugh good-naturedly.

We planned that the press con end by 130pm since there are deadlines for all media peeps and we make it in good time by finishing some 20 minutes earlier.

As everyone departs, I stay behind to do some writing and send material back to Manila for my colleagues in other outfits as well as to the local press. By 330pm, I’m done. It took longer than the entire press con and now I’m real hungry.

I walk by the Promenade snapping photos. It’s such a lovely place and I wish I had a day to just go around without having to worry about work. But I’m here precisely for work so I don’t take much time. I grab a quick bite at McDo which I would retch later on (I have eschewed fastfoods as well). Pampalaman tiyan as they would say. I go back to my hotel to rest.

By evening, we were to all have dinner at Tito Dick’s place. And their home was huge! Going there reminded me of the time when I stayed at Barotac Nuevo (for about a week) then we went to a fiesta in a nearby barangay. This was off road.

Nothing like real home cooked food to sate the hunger pangs. But soon after dinner, everyone opens their laptops to do some work. Coach Butod urges everyone for a little karaoke and we repair to the karaoke room of Tito Dick. Imagine that! They have a room just for that! Well that’s where the playstation and their huge flat screen are all located.

It’s past 10pm when we head back downtown to where we’re all staying.

It’s been a long day. There’s football tomorrow and a motorcade. And we’re all excited.