Anything But Short

I feel so chatty tonight so forgive the long post of stories and thoughts whose only unifying characteristic is that they happened today. :) I am in such dire need of human contact. Yeah, I know you're all thinking "But you have roommates!" Trust me, I'd run them dead with tonight's energy in me.

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SWEATING MY SLEEP

I got into a pair of pajamas and socks this morning (around 12:30am) because it was freezing. Imagine, me getting the chills in Manila of all places! It's been raining for about four days straight already so the city(?) hasn't seen the sun for quite a time. Usually I enjoy this kind of weather because I'm the type of gal that needs the electric fan directed at her on the maximum speed level all the time, all the days of my life. Last night, my muscles created an exception to the rule. They were so sore after ballet and the cold was making them act up more so I bundled up and slipped under a doubly folded blanket. Before going to sleep I pushed my now unused electric fan (I think I heard it sigh with relief) into a corner far from my bed. The warmth felt so good.

Until later this morning that is. The sun finally showed up and there I was under my thick blanket and in jammies and socks. I was so sweaty and hot but at the same time too drugged by sleep and too paralyzed by pain to get up and switch on the fan. Never did 2.5 meters seem so far away.

So I kicked off the blanket and settled for sweating the rest of my 8 hour slumber. It wasn't comfortable, but it was still sleep.

Probably only my roommates can appreciate the frustration of the incident. :p

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PAINFUL BEAUTY

Over lunch in McDonalds, conversation between me, Nellie and Kuya Eigen turned to ballet and pain. People think that ballet gets easier on the body (i.e. less painful) over a long period of dancing it. Unfortunately, that isn't true. Everything basically becomes possible but not painless. Even principal ballerinas, the best of the best, complain that they go to bed each night aching, wake up aching and go dance aching. Karen Kain, principal ballerina of the National Ballet of Canada once said, "I wake up each morning thinking that my ankles will shatter when I touch the floor."

After some exchange on this point, Kuya Eigen said "Ballet is positively medieval!"

Think corsets.

I liked the phrase so much I told my teacher about it and she really likes it too. In fact, when she goes touring the archipelego and teaching in different schools later this year, she plans on using it as a description.

Later in the evening, Monica asked "If ballet hurts that much, why do you do it?" Good question and nice timing (I'm now feeling really sore in the ankles and legs precisely because I'm training for pointe shoes). I told Monica, "You fall in love with it and you dance and the pain is just a part of this whole thing that you fall in love with."

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Speaking of ballet, my turnout if getting better! Sorry, but I'll take my victories where I can.

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PREHISTORIC ORIGINS

Me and Kuya Eigen chatted some at the DCF Alumni Homecoming (not precise conversation, a murky memory):

Kuya Eigen: Now I know how dinosaurs feel.
Me: Huh? Explain.
Kuya Eigen: I feel prehistoric. (FYI Kuya Eigen is an alumni. He graduated, I think, last year.)
Me: Haha, I like being with you. It makes me feel young. I am turning 21 afterall.
Kuya Eigen: You get to be my age for a couple of weeks.
Me: Huh?
Kuya Eigen: I'm 21.
Me: Nooo?
Kuya Eigen: Yeah, I'm 21. I'll be turning 22 in October.
Me: Wow, I'm prehistoric too! So much for feeling younger. Nice going Kristina.

For those of you unacquainted with the custom, Filipinos call older guys "Kuya" and older girls "Ate". "Kuya" is also applicable to one's pastor.

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CARDINAL RULE #1 OF RELATIONSHIPS

I learnt something about relationships this afternoon.

NEVER SAY "I TOLD YOU SO." IN RELATION TO HAIR INCIDENTS. IN FACT NEVER SAY IT AT ALL.

Suggested Alternatives:

1. Nod head and smile sympathetically.
2. Pat friend's back
3. If the above suggestions seem impossible, just shut up.

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Just found out Ate Sharon from church has read all my God rants (as I have chosen to call them). I felt weird having a churchmate go through those particular posts but at the same time it was nice to hear her say "Don't worry, it's a common thing." and to know that she was praying for me. Thanks Ate.

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Kuya Eigen, I do hope to hear the Twilight Zone theme opening your concert next year.

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One of my classmates in ballet took off her pointe shoes to find that her toes was bleeding because her toenails were too long. All of us took a look at it. You'd expect her to cry or something but all she did was shrug her shoulders and say, "We've been through worse."