I can't believe it's been months since I last posted anything here. I know, I know I've been pretty secretive about my life recently but I guess I've just been too busy. However, meeting three bloggers whose blogs I have read and followed made me decide to grace cupscupscups again with my presence. Hahahaha. Honestly, a lot has changed since July. For one, my sister Fanny of Dr. Strangekind is now in Amsterdam taking her Master's. My little brother Andy Boy is leaving for Nepal next month. His trip is also academic in nature but will only keep him away from home for a week. I'm still working at Sun Life and writing whenever the mood strikes (or whenever somebody needs me to cover an event). And it is because Female Network needed me to cover one event that has led to this post.

Today, I had a chance to try foot reflexology for the first time. I'm a huge fan of body massages but I have never really had anyone pay a lot of attention to my feet. After today's session though, I think it's time I give them a little more love.

The entire experience started with a lovely 20-minute foot soak. Most spas I've been to only soak your feet in warm water with soap bubbles but at The Reflex Zone, the soak solution actually turned into a gelatinous mix. It felt really good and squishy. According to the girl attending to my feet, the solution is supposed to be antiseptic.



Following the soak was the arrival of Florence (I wonder if I got his name right), the Malaysian-trained physical therapist assigned to my large and often battered feet. He applied real pressure to my flat feet and revealed early on that I had a low tolerance for pain. After a while though, my feet got used to it and I event felt the areas where crystalline supposedly built up. 



And by pressing certain points on my feet, Florence was able to single out one of the biggest problems I have with my body. Ah, I don't think I want to share that but if you know me, you could guess. I'm not sure I can tell you much more than this, at least until I get my articles for FN done. 

Just stay tuned. 

 One thing that made my weekend was watching Monte Carlo. :) I purposely dragged BoyfriendJay to watch it with me. :) Sure, there were probably only about 10 or so people in the cinema but I loved every minute of it. Heehee. 

 Wow. It's like a door being slammed in my face.

Here I am feeling a little down, a little bummed and well, Cy, you're not the only one in need of inspiration. :) There are things that I want to do that I can't because I don't want to let people down. There are things that I wish I didn't do, too. I wonder, in which parallel universe, did I achieve everything that I wanted to? I have a good friend. She's thinking of breeding Pomeranians to add to her income. Isn't that nice? I have another friend who wants to put up multiple businesses but she's still preparing for an exam. It's gloomy here as the rain has just stopped. Someone is offering me a job as a foreign correspondent of sorts. It's tempting. 

Yesterday, I attended my first Atlantaean meeting and Core Light Healing session in Magallanes so I'm in a pretty good place right now. And despite a piece of disturbing news I received this morning, I intend to just let light and positivity flow through me and all throughout this blog. And well, nothing cheers me up faster than looking at beautiful pictures so if you are in a bad mood today, let these images relieve the burden in your chest.






Note: Links to the images on captions

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife last night and wow, there are questions at the end that made my head spin. You know, those academic questions meant for reading groups... I feel so out of touch with literature. I wonder how my life would have turned out had I decided to take literature in college. Reading and dissecting stories-- it's something I really miss, you know.

I don't think I've ever been good at it though. I remember a particular poem we were supposed to dissect in class about a woman who exacts her revenge on her aggressor/husband/boyfriend during sex and I ended up declaring that she did it by making sure she used his body in return and enjoyed the carnal act as much as she could. Hahaha. My professor laughed at that one because it was not exactly the answer she had been expecting. Turns out that the woman exacted her revenge in a completely opposite way; she was unresponsive. Looking back, I wonder what I was thinking then. My logic is all twisted.

To be honest, I read mostly for the pure enjoyment of knowing the characters, sympathizing with them and looking forward to the happy ending. Call me two-dimensional this way but I am crazy for happy endings. Still, it doesn't hurt to try and exercise my brain once in a while.

So. Question number one: On the novel's first page Clare declares, "I wait for Henry." In what way does this define her character, and how is the theme of waiting developed throughout the book?

Summer is almost over if the barrage of storms stopping by is of any indication. Did you guys make the most of the heatwave? Personally, I think we (the family) were able to maximize the time well. But even though we went to the beach, stayed at hotels and went out of town, I felt like I missed a few crucial experiences. For one, I wasn't able to eat a lot of fruits. You'd think that summer would provide you with a lot of opportunities to sip mango and watermelon shakes but I spent a good deal of April and May guzzling Coke.

Missed a lot of opportunities to engage in a bit of athleticism, too. Swimming doesn't count because I only did a few laps and I spent the rest of my water days floating about. I wish I could have tried running at least once this summer. A few of my friends who do claim that it makes for a wonderful day. When the storms stop coming, maybe I can give it a shot.

I also left a lot of good books out in the cold. Unfortunately, as adults, we have to keep working the same hours during the summer as we do any other time of the year. I started reading a lot of good novels (like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Virgin Queen, etc.) but I'm embarrassed to admit that I only finished one (The Power of Nice) and it's not even a novel. Hehehe A few new books have recently caught my attention, but I promised myself I wouldn't purchase anything unless I'm done with everything else. That said, I discovered a comic book series that seemed really interesting. Is anybody here familiar with the series Fabletown?

Books aside, I think the ideal summer vacation would be the one Alexis Bledel's character in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants had-- the one where she went to Greece. Wouldn't that be a dream vacation? I'd eat all the local fruits in the area, skip down the water everyday, gaze at the views until I get sick of them, go on tourist traps and hidden gems...

But now that the rainy season is already upon us, I have other things to look forward to. Colder days, for example, will be a welcome relief after this exceptionally hot summer. A playlist for the cooler weather is also being put together. Hahaha. A Season for Ducks.

Last weekend, I had a most relaxing time at the Crowne Plaza Galleria with BoyfriendJay. The reason for the impromptu vacation was because I felt like he needed a much deserved break away from everything that has been stressing him out. I also have mami's Priority Privilege card to thank because I was able to avail of the hotel's special rate for members. We didn't even have to worry about breakfast because the voucher came with a buffet pass at Seven Corners for two.

I had never stayed at the Crowne Plaza Galleria before but the room we were assigned, room 802, was really nice! It exceeded all my expectations. The room was large and spacious with large windows that came with a view of Ortigas.

Seven Corners. I insisted that we get there early so as to avoid the crowd. Hehehe. The food was amazing but I didn't get the chance to try everything. :/ BoyfriendJay and I are now really good with buffets. Hahahaha.

I plan to use the next voucher, the one for Holiday Inn sometime in September-- just in time for our fifth year anniversary. :>

"How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?" - Rep. Steve Simon

There was no time to say my prayers, no time to act or do anything at all. In the middle of eating my precious Chowking halo-halo, a bus hit our car from behind and sent my leche flan flying. It sounds funny when I think about it now but I remember those few seconds very clearly in my head. All I could think of was the pain that will come next from being crushed inside the car. After all, isn't that the first image that enters your mind when you think car crash? When all motion stopped, my mom turned to us and frantically asked if we were all okay. I was a little shocked then but felt around my head for any wounds. I knew I got hit by something hard and since I was sitting at the back of the van together with Fanny and Shobe, I knew the three of us bore the worst of the impact. The window behind us was completely destroyed. Thankfully, we're all still alive and nobody was dismembered. We sort of semi-hit the car in front of us because of the impact but the guy driving was genuinely nice and quickly got out of his car to see if we were all okay. Turns out that he's a doctor at UP and he offered his assistance should we need a witness. The ambulance arrived in record speed as well.

In hindsight, the whole accident could have been worse. I don't want to think of the other possibilities because I'm sort of afraid of pain. I'm just happy we're alive.