Bottled Sky

This is a conversation I had with my friend Chrissa last night.

Me: Hey, let’s vacation in Greece!

Chrissa: I’m game! When?

Me: Well, we’ll have to save up first, so… three years from now?

Chrissa: Sounds great. (Thinks for a moment.) Will we be bringing boyfriends on this trip?

Me: Oh, definitely not! In fact, if I happen to be seeing anyone at that time, I might have to break up with him temporarily. I mean, what good is a European vacation if I can’t hook up with at least one hot local?

Chrissa: Exactly! Glad we’re on the same page.

So, men of Greece, it’s a date! Chrissa and I are coming for you in 2010

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.

I’ve lived in Metro Manila my whole life. I’ve battled the horrendous hi-way traffic five days a week since my grade school years (and I’ve lost many times, too, if the number of tardies I’ve acquired throughout my schooling is any indication). I’m used to the smog and the noise that can be found only in a busy, over-populated metropolis. I’ve grown accustomed to being 10 minutes away from the nearest shopping mall, and I can’t imagine life without cable TV and the Internet. If I had to be away from the city for longer than a few days, I’d miss it terribly. What more can I say? I’m an urbanite through and through.

It was, hence, only to be expected that alarm bells would go off in my head when one summer my parents happily announced that they were taking me on a road trip to Vigan. Eight hours in a car with nothing but rice fields to look at? Three days in a place that prided itself on being stuck in the previous century? More rice fields on the ride back?! They must have been kidding themselves if they actually thought I’d agree to come.

As it turned out, I was the one kidding myself when I thought they’d agree to go without me. So on an early summer day, trapped in an SUV with my parents and armed with only my loudest CDs, I was on my way to Vigan.

Continue reading A Visit to the 19th Century »

Taking a cue from my traveling book, one of my favorite pairs of pants has left me for Germany. My aunt, who lives there, stayed with us for a couple of weeks in November. She went back home just before the holidays, and my pants were accidentally mixed in with her luggage.

Although I’m a little bummed about losing those pants, I can’t help but be amused that another of my possessions has reached Europe before me. Plus, I can’t really complain, because although I lost a pair of pants, I gained three cocktail dresses that my aunt generously bequeathed to me before she left. Sure, they look like they belong more in the costume department of a bad 80’s movie than in my closet, but at least they’re, um, interesting.

• Dress # 1 is bright purple with a fully-sequined bustier top and a skirt made of shiny, metallic fur (I kid you not). It also comes with a matching shawl made of the same furry fabric.
• Dress # 2 has a black satin bodice and a ruffled, gold-and-peach skirt. I don’t know what that gold fabric is called. I asked my mom, but the only thing she could say was that it looked like crinkled candy wrapper There’s also a wide ruffle that runs around the bust area, which my aunt says is supposed to make the wearer look like a flower.
• Dress # 3 is made of black brocade and adorned with a big bow on the front. It’s actually pretty tame compared to the other two.

All three dresses fall just above the knee. In case you’re having trouble imagining what they look like, here’s a visual aid:

All I need now are 3-foot-high bangs and a costume party to attend. Does anyone want to join me? I’d probably wear the furry, sequined wonder; you can pick from the other two dresses.