The Cubicle is empty!!!

I’ve run into a dilema, I’m supposed to get a massage this afternoon on our last full day of Boracay, and I’m just not tense enough.  I’ve been here three days, and the air itself is enough to put you in a drug induced-like calm state.  I’m trying hard to get tense, so that the message will be worth it…hummm.  I’m focusing on the rooseters that crow absolutely constantly, from 3 AM to 12 PM….crow, crow, crow, like a competition, like their really struggling….no, just makes me laugh. 

It’s about 8 AM, I just finished breakfast, and the sun is finally coming out.  I had my breakfast on what feels like is our own private veranda, overlooking the ocean.  The only thing blocking my view are those pesky palm trees.  The water is a beautiful multicolor of deep blues, the palm trees are really glowing green in the sun, and I’m pretty comfortable in the shade.  Tension?……I’m trying.  I feel a little bad that we make the waiters walk all the way up to the fourth floor to bring us food, normally they serve in the lobby on the ground floor.  I told Jaime that I’d bring the dishes down when I was done, but he won’t let me.  There are about 15 people working to CONTANTLY keep the place looking nice.  The area between the lobby and the hotel rooms is completely tiled, and the workers are constantly sweeping the sand up that people track in all day long.  When it rains hard, they are constantly mopping it.  Just on going.  There is a pool whose floor is diplaying “Life is Good” and you think…what an understatement!! 

Keep trying…tension….well, yesterday we took a sail boat ride.  We didn’t know what that meant exactly, and I’m the kind of person that is willing to try new things, as long as I have all the details before hand.  We follow a hotel worker down the beach, and we find ourselves in front of a very small sail boat…I’m not sure how we are all going to fit into it.  Then I realize that we are not going to fit into it, only the driver sits in the boat, we each sit on the outriggers, which extends about 8 feet out each side, with about 2 feet wide netting.  The outriggers are blue painted bamboo….slippery, remember, I don’t swim.  They tie the orange life vest to each of us, and I notice the driver isn’t wearing one.  There is one more worker on the boat, very small person, that kind of crawls around and acts as a counter weight when needed.  I mentioned that I don’t swim, right?  So, we go, pretty fast I might add.  And I soon realize, these guys speak a different dialect than Jaime, and NO English…no English is no problem, except when I’m putting my life in their hands.  So our only communication is with smiles, and the waving of their hands to move further out away from the boat…which I realize is for balance and so the sail doesn’t move and knock us into the water….I mentioned that I don’t swim right?  So these guys, who even Jaime can’t talk to, seem concerned and keep saying…”Sunglasses, Sunglasses.”  It turns out that Sunglasses in their dialect means “Sunglasses.”  Even another guy from another boat yelled to us across the way…Sunglasses.  Jaime had his sunglasses propped on top of his hat.  Sure enough, they went into the drink.  Of course, we didn’t totally understand what happened until we were coming back, and I was a little concerned about their concerned looks.  You know, like when the pilot of a plane comes back to use the bathroom and you gage how relaxed he is to determine if everything is okay….okay, maybe that’s only me.  So we’re cruising….fast.  I realize, I don’t exactly know what to expect, but one good bump and I’m going flying.  I’m not strapped on anything, but I do have a death grip on one little piece of bamboo.  The boat rocks a little from side to side, and when it’s down on your side, your bottom gets pretty wet….I’m trying to determine how the boat could actually tip.  I try to relax, I smile, check out the beautiful view of the ocean and shore line!!!  There are some really increadible resorts here…I wonder how deep the water is and how fast they would recover me if I actually fell in.  I’m having some fun….but then finally yell over to Jaime that I’m a little nervous, can we turn around?….So my worldly, Filipino husband, whom I’m entusting my life to, turns to the sailor and says with a motion, “Turn around?”  The sailor smiles, I’m a bit releaved, although I could have done that, and the sailor opens up the dry compartment that we put our belongings to hand Jaime his camera…..Oh NO…we’re not going to be able to get our point across.  Then Jaime tries again, and they figure it out, slow down and make the turn.  I don’t speak the same language, but I’m immagining they realize I’m pretty chicken.  So on the way back they point out Manny Pacquiao (Filipino Boxer, World Champ) place, and we eventually return safely to land.  I am chicken, that wasn’t so bad.  We get back, and with the language barrier I have to laugh, they managed to ask Jaime if those sun glasses where Oakley, and he said “No.”  I’m just happy to be alive.  They said they would look for the glasses….yeah, right.  The ocean’s pretty big.  I focus today now on that near death experience, trying to feel the tension…………no……..It’s just funny today.

Tension……Need a massage…..Need Tension before hand……Yesterday there was a real rain stormduring the day.  Jaime was diving, and I stayed out on our “Private” veranda and read my book.  It really poured hard, you can’t believe how much rain can actually come down at one time, and it rained for hours.  I stayed dry, probably had the best place, I was still outside and dry.  The sound of the rain was hypnotizing, and I was so relaxed while I was reading.  Jaime was still diving and didn’t know it was raining until he surfaced.  I guess that is the reason everything here is so green.  Unfortuantely, it was a neat experience, and didn’t ruin the trip at all…..No tension in that.

Now I know why Philippinos are so laid back.  It’s hard to get tense here, I’m really trying.  Maybe if I focus on how this place will ruin me for the States again.  I mean, I can join to crowd that peels a mango in the States, then sighs and says, “This just isn’t as sweet and soft as they are in the Philippines.”  Or, “Remember how in the Philippines you get up every day and have your Pineapple or Mango or Strawberry Shake?, it’s just not the same in the States.”   And the bananas are really better here too.  Hummm…..no, no tension.  Well, I have a few more hours before the massage, maybe I’ll think of something……..Relaxing away each day, Maria

This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 7:23 pm and is filed under G 2008 PHILIPPINE TRIP. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.