In the world of recent singledom, it can almost always be assumed that the natural feeling is either emancipation, or sweet solitude. In my case, thankfully, it was the former. Having been in a long-term relationship, I have almost forgotten the pleasures of enjoying my own company. Now I can watch every Sandra Bullock movie without objection, go for two weeks without getting my legs waxed, and put on four-inch heels without worrying about someone else’s Tom Cruise complex.
In my quotidian routine, the one I cherish most is eating alone. In fact, Andy Warhol enjoyed solitary dining so much that he considered opening a chain of restaurants for lone customers called Andymats — The Restaurant for the Lonely Person. Except eating alone isn’t a lonely experience for me, and at least I can have dessert all to myself.
Recently, I checked in at the Somerset Millennium, a temporal home-not-so-far-away-from-home in Makati. Having left my family home some years ago, I have acquired many domestic skills, some of which, quite frankly, I can live without. Today, I was cleaning my toilet and, well, let’s just say it wasn’t a special feeling. Staying at Somerset Millenium felt like the indulgence of a serviced apartment without losing the familiarity and comfort of being at home.
The room is an aesthetic and pragmatic hybrid of a hotel and condo living, respectively. The king-sized bed is folded and made by housekeeping, and yet just a few feet away is a living and dining room decorated with abstract paintings, oversized throw pillows, on the floor and houseplants cozy enough to look like a pied-à-terre. There were only two things I was looking forward to that evening: room service followed by a bubble bath. For dinner, it was a simple vegetable pasta and salad. Never mind that there was a fully equipped kitchen in my suite and that I could have easily prepared my own meal. If you cook at home and do a lot of chopping, mincing, and dicing, then you know what I’m talking about. And then there’s washing the dishes…but not that night.
I drew my hot bath and poured the shower gel forming foam and tiny bubbles in my fragrant stew. With Arcade Fire playing from my laptop, I unhurriedly submerged myself in the tub and sang to myself, “I would rather be alone… now I’m ready to start…”
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Somerset Millennium is located at 104 Aguirre street, Legazpi Village, Makati. Call 750-7888 for inquiries and reservations.