[Technicolor Musings] Life After BED

With BED Bar Malate closed until further notice because of a small fire last July 8, I can imagine a large portion of the local queer population somewhat displaced. Let's face it - whether you consider yourself to be into the "scene" as it were, BED remains a major anchor in the local GLBT scene and having it unavailable for a while is quite the loss.

So rather than mope around and complain, it's still a great opportunity to look for other things to do and make sure we continue to put our best foot forward in terms of local representation. The so-called "Pink Peso" still needs to make itself felt and besides - it's not like you want to stay home every weekend, right?

So in service to fellow queer geeks out there, here's a quick list of a few alternatives for you until BED opens again. We all know that they're going to make some sort of a comeback in a different form or maybe even name, but it'll return. In the meantime, get out there and mingle. And don't make me sing There Is Life Outside Your Apartment or something.

Try Other Bars - There's more to the local club scene than Bed. Sure, Bed has always been the biggest and thus the most painful for your wallet, but there's a lot more out there to enjoy. If you like really cheesy drag shows and popular music, then head on over to O Bar at either their Malate or Ortigas locations for a good night. If you're just looking for a simpler place to enjoy a few drinks with friends, then maybe you should swing by Butterfly Bar near Tomas Morato. If you're more into videoke, there are places like Sonata or perhaps even the now larger Che'lu if that's your flavor. Both are located in the Orosa-Nakpil area. Or there are other alternatives out there that I don't know much about like Palawan 2 in Cubao (and I live near it, ironically!)

See A Play Or Musical - Gay men are known to be men of culture and good taste so it'll pay to spend a Saturday night at a theater instead of a smoky club. If you're into musicals, you can try following Atlantis Productions. For theater productions in general (with slightly better budget considerations), you see what Repertory Philippines is currently staging. Or for the more adventurous, you can venture to a college productions where you'll be surprised by some of the somewhat raw but very passionate talent there.

Go On A Traditional Date - Really, when was the last time you actually went out on a "real" date. Don't dismiss it as some relic of our straight pasts, there's actually a lot of fun to be had in meeting a person this way. Instead of agreeing to find one another in the dark confines of a dance club, you can instead meet for coffee, catch a movie and maybe dinner after. Or you can walk around a bookstore together or even try out a few games at an Arcade. Embarrassing yourselves in front of one another is a much better ice breaker than trying to ply your date with increasing amounts of alcohol, believe me. It may be one of the best Saturday nights you've ever had - as long as you remember how to carry a conversation instead of just letting your dancing do the talking for you. Okay, that not's necessarily a bad thing, but you get what I mean.

Host A Dinner Party - This may seem like something left to older queers, but hear me out. It'll be a lot cheaper since you can control the alcohol and you can tailor the music precisely to your tastes. All you need is a friend with access to condo rooftop or pool area, someone who knows how to mix drinks and presto - a fun little mixer for you and your friends. For those who can support it more, you can have a more formal dinner for a smaller group of friends. For those who aren't so inclined, then potluck is the way to go.

That's my list for now, unless you want me to get into the geeky joys of playing a tabletop RPG or CCG with your date (which remain very valid date activities as far as I'm concerned). If you have other ideas about how you're getting by life while BED is out of circulation, feel free to leave a comment or contact the Geeky Guide directly.