My so-called diet and Havaianas

At the beginning of Lent, I announced I would go on a deprivation diet to achieve the double goal of atoning for my sins and losing five lbs.

I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able to stick to my diet and have lost only 2.5 lbs.

It started out okay, until I was assigned to travel to Guangzhou, China.

Here’s my lame excuse: It’s difficult to stick to one’s diet when traveling with a group of people.

First of all, you’re not sure if you’re gonna eat on time, so I made sure to stock some KitKats in my handbag.

On the first night, when we didn’t know where to eat, I walked with a couple of newsmen to the nearest McDonald’s and had Coke with my dinner.

After seeing some scary Chinese food (I seriously object to dead animals served with their heads and feet on the same platter, unless it’s lechon!), I practically coerced some kind reporters to have lunch with me at KFC on Beijing Road.

After which our Chinese interpreter Tony insisted I try this so-so ice cream – and this officially aborted my Lenten sacrifice.

When I got back to Manila, I was sure I gained weight, but when I stepped on the scale, I didn’t.

A couple of days later, I met up for lunch with two reporters from the junket. Feeling deprived, I helped myself to a wonderful feast of Caesar salad, beef belly, and creme brulée.

After lunch I started to feel sick (read: uyam).

I wanted to mask the icky feeling. Solution: Häagen-Dazs Coffee ice cream.

I don’t remember what I ate after that, but at three in the morning, I woke up to pay for my gluttony.

I must have gone to the bathroom 15 times in 12 hours and became sick for the next few days.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I took some Diatabs, Attapulgite, Gatorade, but nothing worked.

I felt so nauseous and weak, I stopped eating. My weight went down to 99 lbs. from 102.5, which was alarming but actually my weight goal.

On the fourth day I was sure that if I went to the hospital I would get confined.

Having been in the hospital too many times last year, I simply refused to go.

So I called a friend of mine for help. He told me to call a friend who was into Pranic healing and I was instructed to go to a house in Wack-Wack the next day.

It was a beautiful house, everything pleasant and in good taste.

There were quite a few people waiting their turn from four healers. I was the last patient.

The healers had a difficult time with me. They sensed I was nervous and said I had lots of stuff stuck in my intestines (scary, if you know my medical history).

One of them said I wasn’t getting well because my immune system was down because I was tired, which was true because junkets can be quite exhausting.

When the session was over I felt so drained. But the strange thing was, I was hungry! I was no longer nauseated and it was a miracle!

I was really doubtful when I went in there, but guess what, they healed me.

They told me what to take (hydrite) and what to avoid (fried food) and they gave me a name of a doctor in Makati Med, which I didn’t need because I became well!

Well, after that I became an eating machine and gained some of my weight back.

Trouble With Flip-Flops

Last Christmas some kind folks from Havaianas sent me and my dear husband a couple of matching floral flip-flops.

Till then, I’d been wondering, what’s up? Why are my sister-in-law and my friend Grace addicted to them?

Grace insists they are more comfortable than any Islander or Sandal Bida, and says that two weeks ago, people were lining up for their new shipment at the Aura store at Power Plant and they were sold out.

At P600 for a regular pair and P2,000 for a beaded, they were also sold out at Rustan’s.

For those who still want them, they’re available at Tonic and Chocolate Clothing Co.

So even though I have feet issues, I found myself wearing and liking them. Okay, I know they’re glorified rubber slippers, but they’re kind of comfy and make your feet look kind of (gasp) cute.

A few days after my stomach ordeal, my husband and I took the kids to Tagaytay for a brief holiday. No one was there. It was great! It took us an hour and a half to get there and back.

Saturday afternoon we went to my husband’s favorite steakhouse at the Highlands. No one was there! Okay, there was one table of parents with three kids, and us.

My Dutch husband went straight to the restroom while I chose a table by the window with a nice view of Taal volcano.

Two hostesses went near me and whispered to each other, "Ako na lang magsasabi o ikaw?" ("Shall I tell her or will you?")

I had a feeling it had something to do with my husband’s Havaianas. I glared at them.

They said we couldn’t eat there because of the flip-flops.

"Um, would you like us to sit out on the deck?" I offered.

"No, ma’am, it’s not allowed."

"Well, I wish you had said that when we entered, before we sat down, and before our car and driver left." (Read: We’re kind of stuck here. We’re starving. It’s Saturday, noon. No one is here. You probably need guests.)

"Excuse me ma’am, I’ll go ask the manager," they said.

After a few embarrassing moments, a waiter came by with the menu and then we had our steaks.

Before lunch was over, three other groups of people – 12 guests in all – came in and were ushered onto the deck. They ordered a ton of food and drinks.

Like us, they looked like they were on holiday – most of them were wearing shorts and flip-flops, and some of them were in Havaianas.