Swimming, yoga, fellowship

Thursday night (November 30), I went to Ace Water Spa in Pasig with an old college friend.

Photo credit here

This became a routine for us - every one or two months, we would meet at the spa and catch up. I would also do my laps, after which we would enjoy the various hydrotherapy massages the spa has to offer. This time it was a bit different - we met in the evening. Plus, this was before a long weekend.  In the past we would meet up in the morning (I used to work at night then) and grab lunch afterwards.

Because of the traffic, I got to the place an hour late. Good thing she lives nearby (as in walking distance). The vibe of the place was different from what we have been accustomed to - there were plenty of people (thanks to the long weekend I suppose), and we just couldn't seem to find a spot where we can talk. And we do a lot of talking - from what's going on in our lives, to the current political state of the country, anything really. Hers is one of the insights I truly value.

Back to swimming: I asked the lifeguard for the exact length of the pool, and he said it's 25 meters. I realized I needed to do forty laps in order to have a good workout (1 km in total). I didn't need to swim any further, lest I injure myself. I was in between two running days anyway. So, I completed the workout and rejoined my friend. We didn't stay long afterwards - there were too many people, and we were both pretty tired after a long day.

After swimming we went to Charlie's, a burger joint in Kapitolyo. I realized Kapitolyo was such a foodie place - there were many small restos, some of which have expanded and opened branches around Metro Manila. Cafe Juanita is one such example - I had dinner there with my family on my birthday. Charlie's had a huge burger menu. My friend suggested I order the wagyu burger, which I did. It was really good! I am a burger lover (I don't think I can give up meat), and theirs was delicious.

The next day, November 30, was a Philippine holiday, which meant I got to practice yoga at The Yoga Place! What's more is that Pria, the owner of the studio and my instructor, informed us weeks in advance that there will be a potluck brunch. She called this a "curry brunch" as she will be serving her famous curry. There were a lot of people who came for yoga - there were 18 of us in all. I think this was the most number of people I have witnessed so far in one class here. Towards the latter part of the class (say, last 10 minutes or so), we could already smell the food! Hahaha! Priam's curry is her specialty, and you could smell how delicious it was. So, after yoga we went to her dining room. There were a lot of food. Aside from the curry and special rice Prima had prepared, there was samosa, fresh lumpiang ubod, pasta with pesto sauce, pancit, to name a few. There were fresh fruit juices too, including buko. For dessert there was sans rival, fruit salad, and the fruits I brought. There was so much food! The samosa and curry were my favorites. The samosa came with a special sauce that you had to pour over it. It was really good! The curry, on the other hand, was just right. It was not overpowering, and the meat was tender. I guess Pria had "Filipinized" her curry.

What's good about the brunch (aside from the food) was that I finally got to interact with my classmates. A lot of the people I met were my neighbors. Another interesting fact: a classmate of mine is the head of finance of a multinational corporation, and they are using our software. Yes, the software I help implement to new clients. Small world, indeed.

Merriam-Webster defines fellowship as "a company of equals or friends". And that's exactly how I felt that Friday morning. I hope that yoga has helped them in so many ways, just like it did for me. I cannot wait to discover more about these very interesting people. :-)