Bottled Sky

Kathy is a special breed of awesome. My weekend rocked something fierce, thanks to her love for Seventeen Magazine and her penchant for joining their contests. They sent Kathy, Ivy, Phin, Chrissa and me on an overnight stay at Taal View Heights and took care of everything so we didn’t have to pay a single centavo. We were chauffeured, overfed, and generally pampered. We even got new tankinis from SPF, “Filipinas” flip-flops from Havaianas, and loads of Freeman beauty products. I can’t speak for the others, but I for one had never been spoiled so rotten in all my life.

The best part was I finally got to spend several hours swimming under the sun. My sunny swim in TVH’s Zen-inspired infinity pool was no doubt a far cry from my freezing foray into the stormy seas of Subic. It still wasn’t enough to bronze me, but at least I’m slightly darker than I used to be.

Swimming wasn’t all we did, though. We played badminton and billiards, rode horses, and briefly visited the lakeside where we met the friendliest little dachshund. On Sunday morning Chrissa somehow managed to make jogging up and down the hilly venue seem like a good idea, but after only 10 minutes of wheezing and panting, Kathy and I realized that it really wasn’t. We also made our very own scary movie using the night vision setting of Kathy’s Handycam, squeezed under a single comforter while bonding under the stars, and consumed too many glasses of mais con yelo. Oh, and we took lots of pictures.

The only downside was that we missed Nas and Tin and wished they could have come, too. Other than that, I can definitely say it was the most fun I’ve had of late. Hugs for Kathy!

This week has been quite interesting so far, at least for me. I got to try a lot of new things, including riding a bike (I never learned as a kid) and getting a big ol’ shot in my thigh. Here’s a rundown of my week:

Monday. I spent the whole day with Chrissa, Sean, Eugene, and Marco at the Quezon Memorial Circle. I tried to learn how to bike but wasn’t very successful. Bike-riding Nikki-style goes a little something like this: 1) pedal left, 2) attempt to pedal right, 3) lose balance, 4) scream, 5) laugh, 6) repeat steps 1 to 5 until the rental hour is up. We then had the longest lunch in the history of Chicken Bacolod, eating for 30 minutes then spending the next 2 and a half hours chatting and drinking gallons of iced tea. We lay around on the grass for another couple of hours and made instant plans to go swimming at Eugene’s condo the next day. If one must bum around, one should do it with friends

Clockwise from top: Sean, Eugene, Chrissa, me, Marco

Tuesday. Even swimming during the hottest hours of the day didn’t give my legs and stomach enough of a tan, but at least I’m not as pale from the chest down as I used to be. (My goal is to get a little brown before hitting the beach at the end of the month.) Like true bums, we lounged around Eugene’s place after pigging out on pizza. I’m not sure about the others, but I ended up falling asleep, curled up in an armchair still in my suit. After showering we horsed around at the gym. I love medicine balls! They’re so big and round and bouncy! I want one for Christmas! Woohoo! Sorry, but I just had to get that out of my system

Wednesday. I saw Finding Neverland (which took forever to get shown here) with Tin, Albert, Chrissa, and Marco (who I think was getting pretty sick of me and Chrissa by then hehe!). I heart Johnny Depp. I love how adorably off-beat he and his onscreen characters are. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean is still my favorite Johnny alter-ego.

Thursday. I went to UP to pick up my grades. I survived Journalism 121 under Prof. Chua! Woohoo! The previous semester was the most hectic and challenging one for me so far. It was so much work, but I had a good time, especially in my Advertising class. That class was very good for my “confidence and spontaneity” (i.e. kakapalan ng mukha). To celebrate my survival of the semester that I thought I would never get through, I bought shoes (of course) - the cutest pink, high-heeled, ankle-strap babydolls ever. Very practical *nods seriously*

Friday. My dog TJ accidentally nipped my index finger. The wound was very small, but I decided to have it treated for my mom’s peace of mind. I had to get two allergy tests and six shots in six different body parts, but it wasn’t so bad because I’m not afraid of needles. The allergy tests I got in my arm stung like nobody’s business, but the shot that hurt the most was the one I got very near the nail of my index finger. The nurse told me that the shot in my thigh should have been the most painful because it contained by far the largest amount of vaccine, but I surprised her when I said it didn’t hurt at all. Apparently, I’m the first patient to ever say that LOL. I still have to go back to the hospital four more times over the next couple of months to complete the series of shots. It’s quite a hassle for such a teeny wound, but it’s better safe than sorry. I also brought TJ to the vet for an anti-rabies booster. I’m pretty sure he’s healthy, but I’m still a bit worried about him.

Today. I’ve had enough excitement for a week, so I just decided to stay home and do nothing. I did blog, though

The first time I tried JobPredictor.com it said, “Nikki Brion, your ideal job is a bungee jumper.” I knew it! I was born to bungee. I’ve been hoping for such a long time that a bungee jumping place would open here in the Philippines. There used to be one in Subic, but it closed down years ago. Someday I’m going to find some high place from which to jump off with ridiculously thin cords strapped to my ankles. I can’t wait!

It’s funny, because I’m not really an extreme-sports type. I just happen to love activities that involve heights I try to avoid, however, high edges with low to no railings, because I don’t trust myself not to jump. Don’t get me wrong! I’m not suicidal at all, but I get the feeling that I just might jump for the heck of it. I’ve always felt that way, even as a little kid.

When I read White Oleander many years back, I found this quote: “The mistrust of heights is the mistrust of self, you don’t know whether you’re going to jump.” Apparently I’m not the only one. Do you think you might jump, too?

Oh, and I saw an Adventure One plug for extreme ironing last night. I must say I haven’t seen anything more entertaining in a while. Who knew you could iron clothes while scuba diving? ;-P