My Weekend With Joe

As I waved Joe off this morning I remembered the dozens of times I'd said goodbye to him in the past. The smug grin was permanent, but I'd seen that with an inverted baseball cap, long hair, a shaved head, a Giordano t-shirt (frog and crest), a business suit.

Joe flew in and landed on my couch a few days ago. He was in dire need of a break and I was in dire need of a housitter. So while I was in Manila finishing off my deal (we closed Friday, yipee!) Joe came by and cleared his head and looked after my flat.

I was back in HK Saturday afternoon and rang the bell to my own apartment. Joe looked great. He'd filled out since the last time I saw him. He's usually skin and bones so filling out is actually a good thing.

I plopped on the couch next to him and we spent the next two and half hours catching up. I told him about the new job, the big move, he told me about the latest fire at work he needed to put out and now wanted to stay away from for a couple of days.

Joe and I go way back. We met as freshmen in college and have stayed in touch since graduation. I went to law school he went to B school. He's a quasi investment banker now (quasi since even he's not impressed with the amount of capital flowing in Manila).

He wanted to go to an Irish bar so I took him to an Irish bar. He had fish and chips, I had bangers and mash. As we watched Fedderer whip Nadal's ass, we talked about college and the people we both knew.

Sample conversation:

Joe: ....what about Eric B? Remember him?
Jona: You mean Batangas Beef B?
Joe: Yep, that's the one.
Jona: Didn't he get married and doesn't he have two kids na? Have you heard from him?
Joe: I heard he's been married twice; no kids.

We went to my favorite bar at Lan Kwai Fong and drank s'more. Joe and I enjoy our beer (he drinks pale ale, I drink cloudy weiss), and enjoy each other's company (partly) for that reason. Over our 7th beer he told me that it had been 8 months since he last spoke to his father. He didn't mention it again. I didn't ask.

Sunday we had breakfast at this 24 hour diner that serves breakfast all day. From behind a newspaper Joe told me that one of his favorite football players got traded. I asked for whom. Without a pause and without moving the paper Joe replied, "he was traded in for a car."

We decided that we'd go see the giant Buddha on Lantau Island. We both agreed it was satisfactorily campy. On the train we noted the "exquisite shipping containers that spotted the HK countryside" and the "hidden Mickey" signs along the freeway.

After half an hour on the train we get on a bus and go through one of the bumpiest rides of our lives. Joe and I get vertigo so at the end of the 50 minute ride we were both in foul moods. Then the fog came in and visibility was zero. We couldn't see a thing. An hour of hairpin curves and bumpy roads all to breathe in toxic fumes and see nothing. To say we were both pissed was an understatement.

More to follow....