Dumaguete Day 9

• Lazed around the whole of the morning. Jette was working on her laptop (si TJ ba yan?), H was having a Carla Giopaolo marathon, and I listened to Mackenzie’s Pleasure by Linda Howard on the iPod while reading Pugad Baboy 21. Jette finally got to lift her back off the bed so H and I followed. My thigh muscles hurt so I try not to move too much. Or if I’m moving, I try not to stop so that the muscles get exercised. I swear. It’s back to doing yoga for me.

• Drove to Pura Vida Beach Resort in Dauin (15 kms. south of Dumageute). The beach is also beautiful and the accommodations look great even from the outside. We only went there to have lunch so we didn’t need a cottage or anything. We just sat at a table, stared at the beach and ogled this handsome guy who was walking with a little girl who was probably his daughter. As usual, we had some of the yummiest food on the planet: Greek Salad, Chicken Cordon Bleu (which is one of my favorites), kilawin and this baked fish dish. Before that, H was so immersed in a Carla Giopaolo book that she pretty much ignored me and Jette. I also bought a few post cards as souvenirs.

• Drove back to town where Jette stopped at NOAH (Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage). She just had an errand to run but when she said it was a souvenir shop, of course I had to take a peek, and walked out almost P500 poorer. I realized I just did not have the self-control when it comes to accessories. I bought myself a butterfly ring and my sibs, keychains. They have more products like jewelry boxes, serving trays, shoes, pots and vases, all of which I wanted but controlled myself before I bought one of each. I keep thinking about the plane ride and how heavy my bags would be on my trip back home. But you should check the website and see their products. As they said, their products are “purely handcrafted with love and patience by the Negrenses in the province of Negros Oriental”. Really beautiful.

• Drove H to Gifts Fashion. Because I already bought my quota of accessories (in my opinion), I stayed in the car with Jette rather than risk me going to the display rack of necklaces and getting this butterfly necklace. H bought the scarf (scarf ba yun o sarong?) she wanted when we went there the other day. Hindi na ‘ko lumapit sa tukso. Went to Sans Rival to buy pasalubong, then we drove H to the wharf for her trip back to Cebu. We were trying to convince her to stay another day but she had work tomorrow.

• Home. Jette and I passed by a pharmacy to get drugs (anti-histamine po) then to a convenience store to get my drugs (Pepsi Max because I was planning to have an all-nighter). I’ve finished the plot outlines of my series but yesterday, on our trip to, and around, Siquijor, I finished conceptualizing two novels. Sulat na lang ang kailangan. Now we’re home and both writing.

Hay. I’m so not looking forward to the 7th when I’ll be coming back home. Mamimiss ko talaga ng sobra sobra ang Dumaguete.