First I got to experience the pampered life. My Dad and Uncle Jun took me to a spa in Alabang Town Centre. I've been to spas before, but have never signed up for massages. At this spa I signed up for 3 types of massages. Sorry people, no pictures: first of all they don't allow cameras in the spa, and secondly I was in my birthday suit for most of the time.
First I got a Swedish massage which is this relaxing massage from head to toe. The lady told me the same thing that my Chinese herbal "doctor" guy tells me, and what my endocrinologist (hormone) doctor tells me. I have a lot of stress. What do I have to be stressed out about? I think my problem is I always sweat the small stuff. Oh well, I guess that means I should go to the spa more often!!! After the massage I was so relaxed, I felt like a blob of jello.
Next I got to soak my calves and feet in hot water and got a nice foot and calf massage. She used different lotions etc while massaging me. I'd like to tell you more, but by that time I was so relaxed I was practically asleep!
While the one lady was still working on my feet, another lady began to give me the most relaxing scalp massage. She even massaged my face with lotion while a warm steam was sprayed over my entire head. She tried to remove my blackheads, but after a few minutes of it I told her to just skip that step......I was there to relax!
By the time I had finished showering and fixed up I had been in the spa for almost 4 hours! Crazy!!! When I stepped out of the spa, I was surprised to find out that a bunch of my relatives that I haven't seen in many years had come to meet up with us! In the picture that's my dad, my cousin Cecil, my cousin Raymond, me, Auntie Patsy, Auntie Tess, Uncle Danny, Thellie and Auntie Necy. We went to Starbucks to have a snack and catch up. I kept confusing uncles and cousins , but I think I got most of the names right. It was quite an exercise for my brain that had been in sleep mode while I was having my massages!Anyways after that we decided to go to San Pedro, Laguna, the town where my mom and dad grew up in. This is where I got to experience the other side of life in the Philippines. This is the place that was just hit by the floods a couple of weeks ago.
We went to the block where both my mom and dad grew up on. Whenever they tell stories about where they grew up, they describe a sleepy little town where there were no stores and everybody knew everybody else in the neighbourhood. It looks nothing like that now! It looks more like the Las Vegas strip with neon signs everywhere. There are a million stores and a million people hanging around. The building that used to be my dad's house has now been converted to a whole block of stores with people living on the second floor. My mom's house was around the corner - we tried knocking on the door there (her aunt lives there now), but noone was home.
Across the street is another bunch of stores. However, on top of the stores is a building space that is now housing about 200 people who lost their homes in the flood just 2 weeks ago. You'd think everyone here would be depressed and walking around dreading the future. Total opposite of that! I'm so proud to be filipino! These people living in such bad conditions still have so much joy in them. It was Friday night and everyone was out on the streets having fun. You would have no idea that these people had just gone through such an ordeal.
Well, I'm exhausted and my bed looks really comfortable. So good night everybody!
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