3 years of Discreet Manila (and a Fave Fab Blog to boot)

So how was your Valentine’s? Mine was pretty uneventful with me being single and all, but I’m quite happy with where I am now. I don’t feel lonely at all and it’s all in having a positive attitude and in realizing that having a special someone is not the be all and end all of being happy.

Anyway, I’d just like to announce that after almost 200 posts, more than 250 followers, half a thousand feed subscribers, and over 1,300 comments, Discreet Manila turned 3 years old last Friday! Yahoo! Though I haven’t been posting as much as I would have liked these past few months (blame in on the tons of things I’m occupied with IRL), I will certainly continue writing for Discreet Manila. I love sharing information and giving out my thoughts and opinions, and Discreet Manila has provided me with an outlet for the PLU side of me. I hope that you have all enjoyed reading this blog over the past 3 years and I hope that you will all continue to patronize my little corner of the Web.

This 3-year milestone was celebrated with a very nice present from the Fabcasters when they named my blog as one of their 15 Favorite Fab Blogs of 2010! Yay! Thanks to AJ, CC, Gibbs, McVie, Migs, and Tony. Thank you very much for this great honor, guys!

Congratulations are also in order to the other 14 blogs (listed below). I read many of them and they are all deserving to be your favorite blog too, not just of the Fabcasters.

1. Back in the Closet
2. Baklang Maton
3. Chuvaness
4. City Buoy
5. Hot Men in the Philippines
6. I am Fickle Cattle
7. Jessica Rules the Universe
8. Lexuality
9. Mandaya Moore
10. Misterhubs
11. The Bakla Review
12. The Professional Heckler
13. Tiggah’s Life in Random
14. Tristan Tales

Thank you everyone, and here’s to 3 and more years of Discreet Manila!

Discreetionary: quota

quota [KOH·tah] noun 1. The desired score. example: “Naka-quota ka na ba?” etymology: from the English word quota, which means a prescribed number, threshold, or limit.

If we have the term score, then quota, isn’t far behind. When you are out cruising, you usually have a desired score before you can say that you are satisfied, right? Usually the quota is just 1, in which case using the word quota doesn’t mean much. But if you’re in places like bathhouses and cruisy spas, then the quota is usually a number bigger than 1. And if you haven’t reached your quota and the place is near closing, then panic buying usually sets in. Hehehe.

I will admit that my usual quota when visiting bathhouses is 2 (sometimes 3 when I’m extra horny and I arrived early). If I’m feeling a bit frisky in the gym, then my quota there is 1, though I don’t often mind if I can’t score there.

How about you, what’s your quota?

The evolution of BED (part 1)

“So, what can you say?” my friend asked me.

We were both in BED on the Saturday of the club’s public re-opening weekend, several months after that ill-fated night. We just finished exploring the BED’s new layout and we were then people-watching by the bar.

“You mean, which do I prefer, the previous BED or this new one?” I asked in return.

“Yup.”

I gave it some thought. “Right now, I prefer the old BED.”

“Same here.”

The new club felt alien, which I guess was a bit appropriate to the club’s new space-age-ish interiors. The place is massive! It now spans three floors and has conquered the space that Club Mafia used to occupy. BED now sports 5 bars and has quite a lot more room to sit. And whereas the stage was the centerpiece of the club before, now it’s the DJ deck with its techno-visuals directly above (behind which is a treat of sorts).

I’m actually very happy that BED is back in the gay clubbing scene (O-Bar Ortigas is not a good substitute). And the single best thing is the banning of smoking on the first two floors. But the new BED is far too different, too raw, and too new, for me to feel comfortable and at home. Nangangapa pa ako, kumbaga. With the previous BED, you know how the social dynamics worked in each part of the club. Now, everyone is literally still finding their place. Where’s the stage ledge? Where’s the dark corner? Where can I strut my stuff? Where can I make out with the guy I like?

The new BED made me feel extremely nostalgic for the original hole-in-the-wall BED—yes, that ancient BED where guys were packed liked sardines. I have plenty of fond memories of that place. But they’re all in the past now.

I guess in time, I will learn to fall in love with this king-sized BED again.

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Read part 2.