Night out with the guys

I joined CH on his night out with the guys at Hacienda, an al fresco garden bar nestled in the lush greenery of Dempsey Road. Refurbished from an old colonial building into a cool lounge cafe bar, it’s not a swanky hideout but it has a casual elegance that draws a young and beautiful crowd.

We were ushered to an outdoor seating in the garden. Surrounded by tropical plants, our spot offered a vantage view of the club. Our three guys ordered their drinks and leaned back comfortably on the wooden chairs. They scanned the club scene and sometimes threw glances at each other, made occasional conversations, often in short sentences, laughed and then continued to sit back and chill out.

I was perplexed, “You mean that’s what you guys do when you hangout, just sit back and don’t talk very much?”

“Not much…”, came the reply, “except when we’re chatting up girls!” They grinned at each other knowingly. Maybe they’re not that chatty. Afterall they have known each other for years and are happy in each other’s company.

I looked around and saw mostly women talking. At the next table, the 4 girls had been talking nonstop while 2 guys did all the listening. The guys disappeared for a while and the girls became even more animated. Yak yak yak…

When I am out with my girlfriends, our conversation starts the moment we meet. It builds momentum as we walk to the restaurant and picks up speed as we get seated. We continue chatting as we study the menu and get so caught up in our yakking that we’re not ready to order when the waiter comes around. Choosing what to eat is a conversation topic in itself. When the food is served, every mouthful is accompanied by a commentary. The conversation doesn’t let up when dinner is over. We’d find a comfy place for coffee and cakes. Instead of lounging around, we’d sit upright on our chairs, to launch into a fresh round of gossip. Boy, we can talk into the night… long after the coffee pot is empty.

What about the guys? Well, we left Hacienda and drove to the Prata Shop. After a hearty meal of roti prata, mutton curry, mee goreng and thosai, washed down with teh tarik, we parted ways. Ciao! No lingering conversations and goodbyes…

Now you see why men are from Mars and women are from Venus?