Usap Tayo: Oysters, Memories, and the Currency of Time

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Usap Tayo: Oysters, Memories, and the Currency of Time

My original group of friends, the Alabangers—all four of us—gathered at Talabar Seafood Restaurant in Westgate, Alabang to celebrate Chito’s July birthday. Over a table filled with fresh Aklan oysters (served raw, Rockefeller, baked with cheese, and as ceviche), Crispy Beef Kare-Kare, and stuffed squid, the camaraderie was as rich as ever.

But looking around the table, the reality of time hit home.

In our younger days, we met constantly—frequent Friday nightcaps over cold beers and pulutan at Manong’s inside Filinvest, alongside monthly food crawls to try new spots. Celebrations were always special: the birthday celebrant had total freedom to pick the place and enjoyed a free blowout from the rest of us.

Today, those spontaneous gatherings and monthly food crawls have dwindled mostly to birthday season: a short window stretching through July, August, and September, with maybe a bonus reunion in December if time permits.

The logistics of getting together are no longer simple. Pedy drives in from Santa Rosa and avoids driving at night. Roman, a practicing physician, used to prefer evening catch-ups; knowing Pedy avoids night driving, he now carves out time for Monday or Wednesday lunches instead. Chito is still busy running his business, while Pedy and I are fully retired.

Over lunch, Roman pulled out old photos of Willy, who passed away a few years ago, bringing a quiet nostalgia to the table. Pedy and I talked about how fast time accelerates as the years pass—measured by how quickly monthly prescriptions run out, or in shared complaints about broken sleep.

Gathering four distinct schedules across four different stages of life isn't easy anymore. But seeing each other in person—not just waiting for the next calendar year to roll around—has become essential. Time is our most precious, non-renewable commodity, and spending it with lifelong friends while we still can is worth every effort.

We aren't just sharing lunch; we are choosing to honor a lifetime of friendship while we still have the time.


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