Bottled Sky

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 with 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 have a folder entitled “Weird” in my e-mail account specifically for strange or silly e-mails sent via this website. For some reason almost all of the messages that end up there are from male visitors. Here’s a rundown of the more interesting ones:

• One guy described my site as “babaeng-babae” (very womanly). That in itself isn’t weird at all, but then he added, “I can smell you from here.” Yikes.
• Another guy decided to regale me with HIS ENTIRE LIFE STORY IN CAPS LOCK. It was one long paragraph of caps-locked goodness detailing his life from birth to his current efforts to become a licensed chemical engineer. You’d think that a Chemical Engineering graduate would be smart enough to find the Caps Lock key and turn if off, but you’d be wrong.
• After blogging about my decision to become a vegetarian, a concerned visitor sent me this wise warning: “Scientists claim that humans’ brains didn’t begin to grow until we started eating meat. You don’t want to go retro!” Did you get that, people? Giving up meat will cause you to regress into an ape. Be warned!
• I honestly do not know what to make of this next one, so I’ll do away with the commentary and just post the e-mail in its full, unedited glory:
  

  I just want to tell you that you are very very beautiful girl because I saw the first your photos, but when I read about you I was disappointed because your beauty is much more unique than your personality. I hope that you will change one day and that you will be able to love somebody who will wish you so much as I could if you would not be so selfish and conceited as you are now. If you ever wish to be courage and love a clever man who would make love with you 3 times per day and smile at least 3 hours, send me e-mail. By the way, there are so many beautiful girls who would like to be special and unique, but if they do not have nice personality and good peaceful heart, they are simply not attractive to clever and goodlooking man, just to under-average stupid and reach men who will be never able to give you what you really need and to make you happy, just to give you money to go to shopping. Do not be angry on this e-mail, I just wish you all the best!!

• A foot fetishist offered to buy me gifts in exchange for pictures of my feet. The request was a little creepy, but the e-mail itself was very politely and apologetically phrased. I almost wanted to reply, “You don’t need to buy me gifts! My feet are sluts — they’ll do it for free!” Almost
• “I…I think I Love you!” Awwww.