Guilty Pleasures

I closed my eyes, drew a big breath and broke my piggy bank. For what? To pay for a ringside ticket to the one-night, live performance of the "Fabulous Four," the Beatles, in concert at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. It was exorbitant, outrageous and definitely beyond-my-budget! But it was a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and who knows when we’d ever see them in person again? I packed sandwiches for lunch, shunned movies, soft drinks and potato chips in order to save my full month’s allowance of P50! Was it worth it? Yes! But in hindsight, no! The acoustic was so bad in that open air concert that all we heard was the echo and the feedback and sound that was slashed and scattered and chopped beyond recognition. But we were in great company and the enthusiasm of all the adoring fans kept us in high spirits. The moment the Beatles broke into a familiar tune, screams, gnashing and wailing followed! That was my first guilty pleasure.

Next was when I experienced my first heartbreak. I had to get out of the house in order to avoid my mother’s worried looks. I told myself I deserve some reward for having stifled my tears that turned my pillow into a wet and soggy memento. The devil-may-care attitude followed me into the department store as I pulled out the first item on the signature rack with a tag that carried a warning sign: highway robbery!

Still unmoving and defiant, the cashier glanced at me: "This is your last chance!" before she rang the till. "Congratulations! You just set yourself back by P78!" It was an organza blouse from the House of Christian Dior – you know, the kind where you draw the string round the neckline with a provocative slit on the chest? They called it a "peasant" blouse and hey! I felt like one! But what the heck?

The shock gave my whirling head another spin and soon I forgot about my wounded heart. My pocket quickly took its place! I’d sooner learned a "must-do" rule that one has to apply during times when the heart, your heart, is open season: Leave your wallet and/or your credit card at home when you are still reeling from the proverbial "the one that got away" affair!

At the picnic ground of my friend’s wide and huge agricultural farm, everyone was forming a bee line for the lechon but not me. The chopped green mango smothered with ripe and red tomatoes, onions and homemade bagoong (shrimp paste) was more to my taste. When I looked behind, I saw that I was not alone in the queue and another friend was salivating in fact as she exclaimed with wild abandon, "They surely beat sex, don’t you think?" She meant the mangoes of course!

In a visit to the Reuge showroom in New York, I was so fascinated by the sweet and melodious music coming from these fascinating hand-made music boxes that I spent close to three hours just listening to every tune in each model. Not content with the fill of music, I quickly sent an e-mail to my friend based in Geneva to arrange that I get one of the limited edition Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s centennial music boxes with the image of a swan (for Swan Lake) carved and inlaid into the richly varnished walnut casing. They only made 200 music boxes. I got number 192. I also hit the roof when I found out the cost!

Guilty pleasures are times of obscene excesses, extravagant holidays and indecent gluttony included. They’re not an everyday occurrence but it offers a relief, a reward, a pat on the back when one’s emotional and mental state is in the doldrums or when recovering from a malady. One should not feel guilty about submitting to these pleasures because one deserves the best.

Some guilty pleasures should never be made known. They must remain secret because oftentimes, we sneak them in when no one’s around. In my circle of friends, we all agree on the pleasure of a sinful meal, which can work itself up to different levels as one goes through life.

For the beginner’s level, there’s always a nice bar of Swiss, Italian, Belgian or German chocolate after a frustrating day at home or in the office. At the famous Cadawe Department Store in Berlin, my husband always made sure that he brings back a big box of "Chirocco" truffles that are guaranteed to set one twirling the moment you pop one in your mouth! Chocolates with nuts is a pleasure that does not end after the chocolate has melted in your mouth, but only after you hear the crackling sound one makes when chewing the nuts. I feel the same exhilarating feeling when I dig into the thick bars of turrones alicante from Spain.

Wine is a progressive indulgence that brings you to appreciate different labels at different times. My first rosé wine was dirt cheap, but I liked the simple taste that went very well with my Cuatro Staggione pizza. Of course, the choice had everything to do with the budget of my date who understandably had to remain prudent in order for him to survive the cold months in his postgraduate school. Since the choice of wine seems to come with age, it may be a good investment to look into acquiring a wine cooler that can accommodate between 80 and 140 bottles. Seeing your collection grow can also be a source of delight as you save the best year and vintage for special occasions and friends.

Fine crystal, china, furniture, clothes, gems, exotic and romantic places, historical and beautiful shrines, etc., etc. They not only treat and pamper the body and the senses, but most especially, the soul and the spirit. Whatever it is that you would like to see, hear, taste and feel, it’s easy to spot a guilty pleasure. It lives up to its name — sheer indulgence. Let’s not forget, however, that all good things must be done with a bigger sense of gratitude and appreciation and always in moderation, moderation, moderation.