Way back when in my old life in Manila, I can still recall how giddy I was when payday came. It was a time I could be a tad more carefree than usual, go drinking and dancing with a little bit more abandon, and not that it was any different from a normal workday, I at least had something newer to wear when we went hopping from one bar to the next. Of course it was only a day or two later when the reality of economics set in but fleeting as it was, it was a lot of fun. I tried to relive those moments when payday hit last Monday, by way of an impromptu invitation for dinner to my partner’s favorite pancake house. While it warmed my heart that my idea was greeted by a smile and a generous nod of approval, it was nothing close to the fun and faux glamour of my former life. I didn’t get any new duds for the occasion but the pancakes were lekker, and our outing was at least good enough to give me that old feeling back. Wish we could do this more often.