When you are looking for local bars for your conventional Karaoke nights, there is this street that you can look for that branches out of Aurora Boulevard.
Years back, it housed girly strip bars. Then, there was this bar where you can play pool with the noisy trikes outside. The bar then renovated into a karaoke bar which the bisexual community started to frequent. This made the West Point Street become a gay strip for Cubao.
If you ask Manila's gay about PALAWAN, more or less, they can point out where it is. With the population frequenting Palawan, they were able to put-up other branches with a different concept of their own. However, the rise of other bars has given Palawan the toll. The other branches has closed ending with Palawan 1 and 2 as survivors where the latter, which was a Comedy-Karaoke-Dance bar, operating only to host events such as Fashion shows and Bikini Open competitions.
There was this bar before Palawan became a hit, SATELLITE (Then, it has been renamed to SUNBAR, legal business matters must have been the reason for this change of name). It is a videoke bar with private rooms to sing your heart out. If you are okay with an audience then just stay in the open area, else, rent a room for more intimate singing... I sometimes drop by this bar for a simple order of 2 bottles local beer and a saucer of peanuts and take the mic to sing 2 songs limit unless no other customers are there singing, then I can request for additional songs to sing... :P
A few years back, I remember meeting someone and making a commitment with him. Having been introduced by a friend at a bar around Quezon City, where a few bottles of beer and some matchmaker friends pushing us together led us to a kiss that made my heart beat race and my stomach flutter. Tall, charming, and goodlooking, he might be considered a trophy boyfriend. He can even pass for It's Showtime's I am POGAY if he ever auditions. I am a sucker for lookers, puppy eyes, and good kissers... Yeah, I know, I am choosy... Actually...
So, going back then... He was already calling me all the wonderful names, "BABES", "BEBE KO" with all the I love you's. We agreed to meet again at Satellite one Saturday. I went there and sent a message to him. He told me to wait with all the "SEE YOU's" and "MISS YOU's" and so I was there ordering a bucket of beer since I am expecting him... But then I received a message, he was apologetic and was asking me to wait. I asked where he was and he replied back that he got invited by his barkada and he cannot exit. And I asked him where and he told me that they were at Starlite. For 2 hours alone I waited, then sent a message to him to just tell me where in Starlite were they that I might as well join them there. He discourage me from joining the group with all the alibis under the sun. I walked across the street to the other bar after already finishing the whole bucket alone. I dialed his number and sent messages. He kept on dropping my calls. I told him that I was already at Starlite. Then, he asked me to meet him at the entrance. I was already suspecting about who he was with that he can't leave. I felt to have earned the right to demand an explanation that I deserved (PIOLO? :D) since we were already throwing I love you's right? He then admitted that he is with his "JOWA" (Boyfriend). I felt like ice water was just poured on me. I turned around and gracefully exited.
I went to binge into fast Chinese food at Chowking. I received a message from him. He sent a message to say sorry and that he really loves me.
But... I am already cutting my long hair short... Figuratively...
West Point Street, which forms a T-junction with Aurora Boulevard, does ring a bell. My pal and I used to visit the now defunct Batong Buhay Macho Dancer Bar. The area looked, and still look, bright, lively, and safe. We do miss the place. You have an interesting blog.
ReplyDelete