In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee --

"So what's it like to have your heart broken?"

Believe it or not, that's how our first conversation started. It was over really crap fries and crap drinks.

I asked him because I wanted to find out if we were alike -- if we felt and experienced things the same way.

It was a gamble -- I've always perceived him as very guarded and not very talky. But, that afternoon, he was. We talked for about 3 hours -- the fries had gone soggy and the ice had melted into our drinks.

And that was when it began. It became a regular thing -- to go off for a cheap lunch in the area and to talk.

And we could talk about anything and always have something to say -- some shallow and some really deep and insightful. And always, always, I walk away learning something new about him and about me and about us.

With my J, I am never afraid to express myself --

I can tell him that I mentally raze down structures along Katipunan and build imaginary condominiums or residential buildings and he will ask me what kind of buildings I am building.

I can point to the first star of the night and he will tell me to go ahead and wish on it.

I can tell him about my silly dreams and plans and he will tell me to go for it and ask me how he can help.

I can talk about what I watched on Oprah and he will pull out a hanky because he knows how sappy I am and that I'm bound to be crying already.

Mr. Flame
Mocha Blends
Katre
World Topps
Bento Box
Thai in a Box
Kamirori
KFC
Pancake House
McDonald's
Fruit Magic
Chateau Verde
Bon Appetit
Rodic's
Starbuck's
Seattle's Best
Ice Monster
Manang's/Clubhouse
Ateneo Caf
Panciteria Lido
Chowking
Coolking
Mann Hann
Sbarro's
Wendy's
Andok's
Wasabi
Hue
La Piadina
Taka's Tea Bar
Cafe Mediterranean
Max's Fried Chicken
AA's
Cinnabon
Tater's
Dencio's
Chinese Monk
Goodies and Sweets
Lolo Mao
Cheesecake Etc.
World Chicken
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Pho Hoa
Lemon Grass
Soup Kitchen
Yoshinoya
Taco Bell
Hungry Hippo
Ministop
7-Eleven
North Park
Josephine's
Fazoli
Super Bowl of China
Tokyo Tokyo
Jumbo Japs
Bread Talk
Cibo
Auntie Anne's
Chicken Bacolod
The Old Spaghetti House
Munch
Delifrance
Dimsum n' Dumplings
David's Tea House
Hap Chang
Figaro Coffee
Mushroom Burger
Lord Stow's
Mangan
Luk Yuen
Mexicali
Mongkok
Sweet Inspiration
Sugarhouse
T Salon
Yellow Cab Pizza
Banana Leaf Curry House
Jamaican Patties
Popeye's Chicken
Rai Rai Ken
Shakey's
Pizza Hut
Le Ching
Sandosenang Halo
Smokey's Hotdog
Sugi
The Big Chill
Malacca Desserts
Oody's Bar and Restaurant
Ah Siu
Cafe Breton
Penang
Gloria Jean's Coffee
Kagura Okonomiyaki/Little Tokyo
Jollibee
Crepes and Cream

* * *

You are my very first thought in the morning
And my last at nightfall
You are the love that came without warning
- Westlife, "Obvious"