The Annie B. (Batobalani) Chronicles: Eye Ball

The Annie B. (Batobalani) Chronicles: Eye Ball

The adventures and misadventures of a ‘not so average’ Pinay trying to make it in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai.

It all started with this…

Machogwapito25:  Hello der! ASL? 😉

Pinayhotchick: hey! I am 24 years old. Filipina in Dubai. U? 🙂

Machogwapito25: Kumusta Miss Kabayan? I’m 29, mestisuhing Pinoy, taga-Dubai din for 15 years now. 😉

Pinayhotchick: Us in 15 years?!!! ang cool mo naman…so fluent ka na mag-arabic?

Machogwapito25: Shuhada, habibti? How long are u here in Dubai?

Pinayhotchick: Newbie pa lang me…4 months pa lang…:smile:

Machogwapito25: Wowowee!!! Fresh na fresh ha? Well, let me be your guide!

Pinayhotchick: Talaga??!!! How nice of you naman. Promise yan ha? Sky’s the langit? Teka, may wheels ka ba? Haha – kasi papano tayo gigimik di ba?

Machogwapito25: But op cors! Ok na ba sayo ang Mitsubishi Pajero? 😉

Pinayhotchick: Coool!!! 100 pogi points! I’m interested! 🙂

Yes the hopeless romantic in me finally gave in. After a month of everyday chatting and exchanging of emails, we agreed to meet each other in person thru an Eye Ball. At first I was hesitate to meet him – I told him that my visual statistics are 36.23.38….I’m finally had to reveal that those are really my lucky lotto numbers.

It was confirmed –  a Thursday dinner date, 7:30pm at Tagpuan Restaurant in Karama. I’m finally meet the man of my dreams. Maybe he is just being humble – what if he’s really a millionaire kabayan who’s been looking for the right girl to bring to the altar and be his queen in the kingdom of the rich and the famous lifestyle? Jumeirah Janes, here I come!

As my date is truly romantic, he reserved a table outside the restaurant – Dinner Al Presko!!! Romantic na, presko pa! I thought I was already late becoz there were just old people having goto. I sat down in one of the tables, feeling like Julia Roberts in the movie “Pretty Woman”, waiting for my date to surprise me. I ordered a glass of Sago’t Gulaman to freshen up and ease my tension. Then suddenly, this DOM kabayan from the other table looked at me and smiled. Ngiii!!!!… I know I had mestiza features so that’s why he might think I’m a Russian you know.  The he suddenly waived his hand – the nerves! What does he think of me?  A waitress?!!!! So I just ignored him and pretended to sip Gulaman. Then, he called me in a familiar name.

“Pinayhotchick?”, as he walked towards my table.

“Bakeet?!!!” As I faced the other direction.

“Miss ikaw ba si Pinayhotchick from the chatroom?” He pulled a chair and sat comfortably.

“Eh ano ngayon sa yo?!!!” “Excuse me, but as you can see, I am waiting for my date….”

Then it occurred to me, “Oh noooo!” Could this DOM Kabayan be…

“I’m machogwapito25!” he blurted out.

All of a sudden, I’m stopped. (Natigilan ako.) How come this guy is different from the one in the chatroom? He said in our chat that he is mestizo and looksalike Robin Padilla with a little bit of Piolo Pascual…but how come he is like Dencio Padilla with a little bit of Panchito?!!! I thought he is just 25 years old – but from his looks I think he’s been in Dubai for 25 years now. But the bling-blings in his finger, his wrist, his neck and his teeth flashed a blinding light on me – dedma na sa hitsura but I think this guy is really loaded!

“Sige nga, if ur really machogwapito25, where is your car?

He picked up his car keys and pushed on of the buttons. 

Bleep! Bleep!

I turned around and saw a red Pajero behind me – with the lights blinking on and off.  So dizzizit….wala ng urungan…magka-subuan na…deal or no deal?  Game na?  Game naaaa!!!!!

“Hi machogwapitooooo!!!! I’m pinayhotchick. I’m Annie B. I’m a pleasure to meet you.”

“Whew! Akala ko iindyanin mo na ako eh.  Kasi at first it’s like you are hesitate.”  DOM Kabayan said. “Bay da wey. I’m Anastacio Antonio. Call me Ashton for short.”

I got excited. “Alam mo yan ang gusto ko sa lalaki – ang may personality! Bukod pa sa iyong CAR-acter-ahihihi! You know what, kapag nag-anniversary tayo next year, I want to have dinner in this very same restaurant – in this same table pa mismo! Romantic ba? Syempre susunduin mo ako at ihahatid sa office ko sa Media City, tapos sabay tayo magdi-dinner every night, then every Sunday magsisimba tayo together. Tapos every weekend magpi-picnic tayo sa park, o kaya mag-a-out of town or magbi-beach. O sa museum naman kaya? Ang romantic di ba? Tapos manonood tayo ng sine then kakain sa restaurant then kape sa Starbucks – you know….”

Ashton: “Ha? (sabay-lunok) Ahh…ehh..di ba pwedeng getting to know each other muna tayo?