To maximize my trip, I plan my schedule well when going to Tagaytay. I get to accomplish several things in a few hours visit. What takes the trip longer is the traveling time, the slow traffic along Sta. Rosa Road, and the heavy traffic before the Sucat exit (30 minutes), plus the perennial C5- SM-Aura- Market Market congestion that could take away 45 minutes of my life.
Sometimes, I am able to do 14 things. Minsan 10 things. Errands. Minsan 4 meetings. Kung anu-ano. Keeps me busy and mentally alert. The traffic is the one that is a pain in my ass literally and figuratively.
Last week, I had two important meetings in Tagaytay, one was at 6:30 pm and one breakfast meeting the following day. I didn’t want to travel back and forth to Manila so I checked in at Taal Vista Lodge.
It was sunny when I left the office in Makati. When I reached Tagaytay, it became cloudy. While I was talking to the daughter of the woman squatting on my property, there was a very loud firecracker sound. Ako naman kala ko merong wedding. Yun pala kidlat. It hit somewhere very near me. Natakot ako talaga. I got the cellphone number of the daughter. Sa pagmamadali ko pala I only wrote down eight numbers. She lost her job as a waitress of a restaurant blown away by the typhoon. Saib ko sige magtatayo ako ng Bulalohan (two years from now!).
I went to a small restaurant owned by my future past architect. Future past kasi I shelved the project when she told me “ang arte-arte mo”. She’s a nice person except that two women can’t work together. Maarte talaga ako. Mahirap for an architect to work with someone who knows too much about architecture, planning, construction and design. Plus the worst thing, nagtitipid pa.
At least, I patronize her tapsilogan. Is that how it’s called? Tapsilogan, parang hindi yata. My driver didn’t want to eat. Busog daw sya. I ordered one extra for him, tapsilog P140, to go na lang.
While I was having my late lunch, it began to drizzle. Before I finished my food, there were occasional lighting and kulog (thunder).
When we reached the Robinson’s mall, it became zero visibility due to the heavy fog. It was too dangerous to proceed so nagpalipas muna ako sa Robinson’s. I walked around and looked for a comfortable place while I wait for the clouds to clear. I found a beauty salon on the second floor. Nagpa-pedicure ako. In half hour, the nails cleaning was done and the clouds have cleared. I left with two bleeding toes. When we reached Mendez road, it rained cats and dogs. We stopped and took shelter from the lightning. For almost one hour the downpour was non-stop. Sobrang tatalim ng kidlat. As I watched the volume of rain falling from the sky, I couldn’t help but feel hinayang, sana sa California na lang umulan, kasi meron silang brush fires and patay na ang mga damo. 
When the rain didn’t want to stop after an hour, I braved the rain and did my rounds. My daughter wanted to join me but I stopped her from driving all the way from Manila. And she also told me, there’s heavy rain and thunderstorm also in Manila. Uwi na lang sya. My dinner meeting proceeded on time, 6:30 pm and lasted till 10:15 pm. The guys were from another town and instead of them coming to Manila, we just met at Taal Vista Lodge. What was the long meeting about? Brainstorming lang on an idea I am exploring.
One of my kamitings, Carlos, ordered tawilis but he didn’t get to eat them kasi nga we were seriously talking about things and business ideas.
Mahina silang kumain, siguro kasi I kept on asking them questions. Kaya hindi makanguya. 
I ordered pansit bihon.
I stayed for another 15 minutes after they had left. Naglasing akong mag-isa. I had two glasses of fresh papaya shake and one cup of hot tablea chocolate.
The hotel’s restaurant was about to close so I left. I heard someone singing at the lounge, I sat down for three minutes to record his singing.
It was 11 pm, time to retire. I felt so alone traversing the long hallway to my second floor room.
It was wet, cold, foggy outside. The more I felt so alone. Parang gusto ko ng umuwi. But I have a breakfast meeting at 9 am.
It was indeed disappointing not to have wi fi connection especially here at Taal Vista Lodge. I called the front desk twice but the two guys on duty didn’t know a bit about internet connection. They told me their IT guy would come the next day at 9 am. Susmaryosep. tapos na ang araw ko nun, magche-check out na ako.
With no wifi, I just watched the evening news Bandila and CNN.
I couldn’t sleep till 2 am. Every time there’s a noise, even slight movement from outside eh pinakikiramdaman ko.
