Thursday, March 1, 2007

Where Even Darkstar Fears To Tread

The moon is still young, yet I feel so very old.

If not for the necessity of having to submit a provocative review essay for my CW class in the university, I would think twice of taking this journey, which would lead me to uncharted territories.

A review of clubs BED and Government would surely satisfy, not only my professor Dr. Neil, but also my girl classmates who are eager to get the latest scoop on PLU affairs. But such familiarity would take away the thrill I would get in doing this project. An alternative would be to bring a newbie PLU to these places and write about his reactions and insight about his newfound experience. However, I'm not sure whether somebody is willing to go with me and take the risk of being outed, especially on a rushed assignment such as I'd be doing tonight.

I'm thinking of doing a discreet incursions on a bathhouse or a hardcore gay bar. After all, I've never been to such places, and going there alone would bring out all the necessary overwhelmed feelings I could put up, for this review. The details are very easy to write about, but really, it's the feelings that count.

But, such feat would be too ambitious - considering that I'm on a tight budget and I'd be doing this mission alone and half-hearted. Besides, the lingering thoughts of getting caught... has already given me the chills. The risk I would have to take and the guilt that may come after is too much to take just for this essay.

So instead I would take the middle, and less prominent path. I would try to discover and observe in detail the less prominent PLU hang-out spots around the city. My leads tell me that these places are frequented by parloristas, wannabe callboys and old gay guys who can't compete in the prententious crowd in the clubs I call home. I hope that my presence in these bars where these simple, uncomplicated guys would not disrupt the harmony of things. I also hope that in doing this project, I may find again the humility I've long lost, in the dance floors of the first cruise bars that I've visited in my younger years.

The thoughts of going to these places somehow scares me. These feelings may be attributed to the unfamiliarity and uncertainty i'd be stumbling along the way. Perhaps it might be due to the fact that I'd be doing this while trying to adapt to the guys who frequent these bars. But let's see how someone like me, who grew up in the highly competitive hotspots of Malate and Makati would fare there.

Let's see where these new worlds would eventually lead me.

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