Bottled Sky

Last December my parents flew in for a two-week visit, and I got to spend Christmas with them for the first time since I moved to Singapore. We did the tourist thing for a couple of days, which is just another way of saying that we barely managed to squeeze in a couple of museum visits in between marathon shopping sessions.

You guys, my folks are adorable! I snapped this photo on our way to the MINT Museum of Toys, a thin slice of a building that houses thousands of — you guessed it — vintage toys. The admission price was on the steep side at S$15, but I thought it was worth it to see all the quirky childhood memorabilia. Toys were so much more charming in decades past. Now it’s all factory-perfect plastic and high-tech gadgetry.

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Last Monday I turned 24. It was my first birthday in Singapore, my first birthday at work, my first birthday away from home, and most importantly, my first birthday with two cakes (although I only got to eat one of them).

The first cake came from my coworkers, who threw me a surprise lunch at the office. I went to work expecting nothing, so I was caught completely off guard when they all started singing “Happy Birthday” at noon. Aside from cake we had pizza and a yummy salad that Haydee, one of my coworkers, made herself. They also gave me a large card that they had all signed.

While I can definitely report that my first cake tasted delicious, I can only say that my second cake looked delicious, because I was merely able to enjoy it—and the rest of the birthday dinner my family had prepared for me—over Skype. I chatted with them after I got home from work and “blew” out my birthday candles via web cam. Even our dog Biscuit joined the chat. Check out this picture and tell me she doesn’t look smart:

I swear that dog is a genius! She had her front paws on the keyboard, and somehow she managed to shut down the computer in the middle of the chat by pressing ctrl-alt-del TWICE. Next thing you know she’ll have her own blog, “Biscuit, PhD: The Secret Life of a Canine Genius,” where she’ll write about the digestive repercussions of snacking on dirt and share the best yoga techniques to make gnawing at that hard-to-reach itchy spot at the base of the tail a breeze.

I just got back from my Baguio trip, also known as the Great Strawberry Binge of 2007. Man, those strawberries were fantastic. We stayed at a lovely hillside house in a village charmingly called Rainbow’s End. Here are some photos I took in and around the property:

Generated by Mosaic Maker

1. Wooden Beams, 2. Dad Reading, 3. Niche, 4. Mom by the Daisies, 5. Fern, 6. Vines, 7. Stone Steps, 8. Dad Enjoying the View, 9. Fire Hydrant, 10. Trees & Clouds, 11. Looking Up, 12. Reflections

As for my detox efforts, I would have to say they were a smashing success. I managed to stay off the Internet the whole time. I did drink one itty-bitty cup of coffee on the second day, but only because it was so freaking cold. Yep. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

Tomorrow I’m going on a 5-day trip to Baguio with my relatives on my mother’s side. It’s been at least a decade since I last vacationed with my extended family, so it’s bound to be interesting. I’m actually looking forward to it. At the very least, Baguio’s cool climate will be a welcome escape from the stifling Manila heat.

I’m also seeing this trip as a chance to detox, so to speak. No Internet, no caffeine, no staying up all night and sleeping during the day. I’ll take pictures, draw, finish that book I’ve been meaning to read, eat strawberries, and maybe get to know my cousins — unless of course the withdrawal symptoms hit me so hard that I’d have to be driven to the nearest Internet cafe and attached to an intravenous coffee drip

On a totally unrelated note, I really want one of these:

It’s The Ex Knife Holder from Think Geek. Now that’s what I call catharsis.

What good is a shoe addict’s blog without random bouts of shoe worship? I, therefore, present to you my favorite stilettos:

These were a joint gift from Chrissa, Tin and Albert. They asked me what I wanted for my birthday two years ago, and I immediately said shoes. It’s almost an automatic response for me They agreed, so we went to the mall to hunt for the perfect pair.

I love these shoes, because they’re such a unique color—silver-brown with a nice, soft sheen. I’m also quite fond of the ribbon detailing, the peep toe and the little cutouts. They’re sexy without being over the top. And even though they’re stilettos, the heels aren’t so high that I can’t walk in them. I’m not saying they’re uber comfy, but at least they’re tolerable.

I bet you won’t be able to guess the strangest place in which I’ve worn these shoes… I actually wore them in an operating room. I went to the American Eye Center, the same place where I had my laser eye surgery, to have a sty removed. My dad, who drove me to the clinic, questioned my choice of footwear before we left the house:

Dad: That’s what you’re wearing to surgery?!

Me: Why not? If I have to walk around a public place with a bloody bandage over my eye, at least my feet will look good!

I had to wear paper booties over my shoes during the operation. It was a good thing the heels didn’t tear through the paper After the surgery, my dad and I met up with my mom at the supermarket and had dinner at a restaurant. People kept giving me weird looks. (They obviously hadn’t yet realized that stilettos were the perfect accessory to liven up post-surgery bandages.) It was a lot of fun! I love it when I baffle strangers with my eccentricities.