So of the things I listed in my previous post, I was actually just able to do 6 and a half, which consist of LASIK, haircut, manicure, get togethers, wedding stuff, shopping and Turks shawarma. :D I'm happy that I at least got a massage. And that my skin is starting to get better, thanks to Dra. Huang. Crossing my fingers that this continues and that by December, it's completely cleared up.
Anyway, the point of this post is really to just say 'hello, I'm back'. And to randomly blab about things that happened and thoughts that crossed my mind while in Phils.
1. LASIK. I've got 20-20 vision again, or perhaps better (like 20-15). Which means I can walk down the aisle in December and be able to see perfectly! :) It was good that I didn't have any expectations of the surgery, which meant than when they put a ring on my eye to keep it from blinking, I can't do anything else than to go with it. Longest 15 mins of my life. And yep, my eyes (or rather eyelids and eyebags!) swelled up big time from tearing up too much. Unlike other patients who didn't seem to have any downtime after the operation, I could barely open my eyes otherwise I would tear up, and I developed a cold too, which is what happens when I cry. Even recalling how it all went after the operation is enough to make me tear up. :D
2. Wedding preps. Who would have thought it's incredibly difficult to find a dusty aqua-coloured fabric? I was about to give up on our original motif of dusty aqua-sunshine yellow-salmon pink when we finally found a decent shade of blue that's close to what I had in mind at a very orderly Carolina branch. Oh, and I was seriously having a hard time distinguishing blue from green. Sigh.
3. Patience is a virtue, and so is cheerfulness. I never really thought I was being rude then when I practically ignore people who greet me 'Good morning/ afternoon/ evening' in malls until I lived in the US and Australia. My layover in SG made me realize this too. Why do a lot of people, even in customer service booths, have this dull expression, almost a scowl on their face when approached. I was talking to my mom about another observation over lunch - how it seems we have this sort of caste system, and that it seems okay for people to not be polite to others attending to them, eg waiters, salesmen, etc. And why some waiters, salesmen, etc are quite rude too. Sure you can encounter that anywhere else, but I guess for someone who used to just do a quiet and sometimes non-existent nod when greeted, I felt that it's something quite common back home because I myself used to not bother to greet back. And yep, I've been surrounded by people who can't seem to hide their annoyance. As I've learned some years ago, virtue is something you'd get from constant practice (that's actually according to Aristotle). And it would be nice to try to be more patient and cheerful, regardless of who we're dealing with, be it higher-ups or people waiting on us (just a note to self!).
4. I'm thin, so I've been told by almost everyone who saw me back home. I can't say I've lost weight because I haven't. Or to be accurate, just 1 pound. I was 111 lbs when I left in August. Now I'm 110. Yet a lot of people thought I've lost so much. I may have over exercised - but I love spinning and doing strength training. I didn't lose weight cos I turned my fats into muscles, which are of course heavier. I felt like I have a similar dilemma to Lily's (HIMYM) when she was trying to gain weight to fit into her wedding dress. Well there are still 7 months to go and for all we know I may become too big for my dress come December (I hope not!). Still, I'm not going to stuff myself with calorie-laden food for the simple reason that I don't enjoy it. I'm already at that point where I'm not happy to put junk food in my mouth because well, though they taste good, they don't really make me feel good. When people think I'm unhealthy or even anorexic, I tend to defend myself but only in my head - with a big 'give me a break'. I haven't even cut down my food intake and I've never eaten this much veggies in my life until I'm almost 27, so yeah I don't think that's unhealthy. I haven't gone to the gym for almost 3 weeks and I'm already excited to go to RPM tomorrow, even though I know that by the end of it my body is going to be sore. :)
5. Airport goodbyes still make me cry. And goodbyes in general. How nice is it to hug your family and friends? Very much I'd say. I've probably become used to being away from them, but when I'm in the airport by myself, after all the goodbye hugs and kisses, I still find myself holding back my tears, as corny as that sounds. And I still find the trip to NAIA melancholic, even when staring at the gray Manila skies and run-down buildings while stuck in traffic. As I've said some years back, I don't think I'll ever get used to airport farewells.
Well that is all. :) It's nice to still have little random realizations when going back to the country you grew up in. And it feels good to be back here too - to finally get some rest even with work, and sip mocha again with friends on a weekday arvo. ;) And can I just add (trivial stuff!), I love this Christmas-like weather in May (yay, it's now ok to wear scarves!). :)
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