SCREWED!

A week ago, I woke up with a bad back on an uneven bed. My wooden bed's screw slipped off from its original joining and it needs re-screwing. I must have gained so much weight or the old bed must have loosen its screw because of my frequent turning while sleeping. When I checked out what was wrong, I found that the screw that joins the metal and the wood don't match at all. I was told to inform the matron of my situation so a carpenter could come fix my bed. But I was so lazy to go down the ground floor (I live at the 4th floor) so instead of waiting for a professional carpenter to come, I had my roommate lend me a good type of screwdriver and had me fix my bed in no time.

Being a single mom for 11 years had taught me to love and learn a man's job. Simple carpentry, climbing a ladder, painting a wall, mastered handling a hammer, fixing a roof, doing electrical wirings, changing light bulbs, plumbing, adding double locks to main doors, troubleshooting a clogged sink or overflowing faucet became my routine that I neglected learning doing what other women have mastered doing such as cooking, sewing, baking, crocheting, the crafts and the arts, etc.

Yesterday, after coming home from work, I sat at the edge of my bed while browsing my pad when the other side slipped off again. Same problem with last week! But this time, I can't fix the bed for reason that my roommate was fast asleep. I waited for her to wake up but she seem sleepless the whole night that she needs catching up for tonight's duty. To avoid bothering her, I went to Rameez to accompany a colleague to transfer money to the Philippines, dined in at McDonald's, did some shopping and went home at prayer time. She was still sleeping so I did my laundry, took my pad out and spent more time at the receiving room sitting on the sofa that's full of dust mites. At 3pm, the matron knocked at the door telling me to wake my roommate up for a telephone call from the Admin office. So my mate was forced to wake up that had given me the chance to check on my bed. Again, I have to ask a screwdriver so I could fix the other side of my bed. Good thing I kept screws I picked up from places I go to. So when a time comes you saw me pick up screws, DON'T WONDER! I keep them for a reason!:)

HEAD TO TOE

VANITY may be the right word for me having undergone series of pampering from head to toe on my 2012 vacation but be it fashionable trifle or worth the fun and the money, I believe working overseas for 2 years was worth having tried to feel better of myself.

HAIR: Ice Rebond with Cellophane

My limp, dry, damaged hair needs major repair. Salon de El Aura checked on my hair and recommended the Brazilian treatment for the "best result" but paying Php6,000.00 for my hair? No way! So I opted for the cheaper one, Ice Rebonding with cellophane. The procedure started with lots of shampooing. After drying it off, different hair products were massaged through my scalp and stayed there for an hour. The attendant shampooed my hair again, had it ironed, then another product was spread on and massaged on my scalp that stayed there for another hour. Hair colorant was also applied then they had it shampooed and dried. Haircut was free so I had them cut my bangs a little but the little became literally little which I'm really disappointed at. During the procedure, I was instructed not to shampoo nor have my hair get wet for 3 days. They told me to go back for a free rinsing but I never went back because of my tight schedule. For Php4,000.00, I gave Salon de El Aura 8/10 for a shiny, bouncing hair that I hope could last til my next salon visit.

BROW: Threading

Threading was a painful procedure to reshape an eyebrow. A well trained beautician should do the job of using a thread to remove extra hair on the brows. I usually do my reshaping with a blade but always end up with an uneven eyebrows. I ain't a pro when it comes to this kind of vanity so for a change, I had my threading at Feel Good Spa at a hundred pesos. I feel more confident applying an eyebrow liner now that my brows were even!

EARS: Candeling

A masseuse, trained not only to do body massage introduced me to this Indian Ear Candle Dense Therapeutics to remove earwaxes. A funnel like paper was placed on my ears during which, she lighted a candle and as if a magic was done to that I feel clearheaded after the procedure. Priced at Pho350.00, I didn't regret having availed of this not-so-well-known procedure.

FACE: Diamond Peel with Facial

The salon that did my threading also did my diamond peel. The procedure is a simple facial cleansing and removing of blackheads and whiteheads and exposing to some sort of radiation for 45 minutes. There was no unusual change except that my face feels soufflé and clean after the procedure. They say, for a better outcome, series of diamond peels should be done. For php800.00, I guess, I will have another round of diamond peel once I get back home next year.

FACE: Chemical Peel

I told Dr. Richelle Mendoza, my dermatologist that I will make a blog on this procedure and she gave me her blessing to do it. I actually didn't visit her sturdy clinic near STI-San Fernando for a chemical peel but for other procedure to lighten my damaged right cheek caused by a car accident. She recommended a costly procedure called Derma roller for a complete disappearance of my "tinted" cheek but then again, the procedure will be a 6-series visit and I was there few hours before my travel to Manila for my next day flight back to Saudi Arabia. So for an hour, she had me treated with chemical peel specifically targeting the melasma on my left cheek. It was an itchy procedure. The thing is, unlike other derma clinics who have licensed and trained practitioners to do the job, it was the doctor who personally attended to me and had given me instructions on how to get the best result. She prescribed 3 products to use post-procedure and have written instruction on a pad, which I never really read til I came back to the MidEast. After a week, the melasma have lightened a bit. I wasn't satisfied but well, maybe other instructions never really get through my brain since I was on a hurry that night I came to her clinic. Should you ask me if I will go visit her again? But of course! I will! She was good, clinic was cozy, price was affordable at 1500php plus 750 for the vitamin c, a facial wash and a facial cream.

TEETH: Filling and Cleaning

For many Filipinos, the teeth weren't a priority when it comes to general grooming for reason that going to the dentist is expensive and sometimes painful. As a result, there are quite a number of Filipinos wearing dentures at an early age.

A friend referred me to her sister-in-law who is an orthodontic-dentist for my daughter's braces. During a visit, I availed first of tooth filling (actually a change of former filling of amalgam to the white composite tooth colored) and had her to cleaning as well. True indeed, you can add more face value when you visit a dentist! At a discounted price of Php1,200.00, I can smile more confidently.

UNDERARM: IPL- Intense Pulsed Light

I was at CSI mall in San Fernando City with my daughter Kryztl when we both thought of visiting Nisce Skin and Face clinic. She had her underarm whitening and I had my IPL, which I never really planned having it for reason that I don't have any idea what it was. The receptionist recommended IPL so I had it for blogging purposes. Vain, isn't it? During the treatment, a small hand piece was used in my underarm with flashes of light; a cooling gel was also applied. The procedure was a little uncomfortable, with a tingling or stinging sensation. The attendant told me that the procedure can be repeated at monthly intervals for between 2 and 7 treatments. I was in the Philippines for 21 days so I had availed of it only once. For Php2,000.00, I was convinced that it was "cool" to have hairless underarm for 2 months!

NAILS: Manicure and Pedicure

Pedicure was my vanity since cutex was discovered. Cutex is a Filipino word for nail polish and pedicure is really something I look forward to on my vacations because it isn't pricey and we can have choices who we want to do the cleaning for the hand and feet- the light handed manicurist or the "super makalkal na pedicurist". I prefer having my ingrown removed everytime I had my pedicure. Good thing, Kryztl introduced me to her favorite manicurist, the 3 sessions I had for manicure and pedicure were blood and sugat-free. So instead of paying 75 each for the hand and feet, my new favorite manicurist deserves a tip of 30% of her services!

FEET: Spa

Foot spa is the new trend in foot relaxation. Having my feet dipped on warm bubbling water and had my feet cleansed and massaged was the most wonderful feeling I had after having worn my 3-inch wedge. But it never put me to sleep because while I had my foot spa, hair treatment was also on going. Pedicure was included at Php 300.00.

BODY: Aromatherapy Massage

I blogged my spa experience at Copacobana Hotel few hours after I landed and the whole body massage is something I look forward to on my 2013 vacation. For massages, it's important to know what you wanted. Feel free to tell the masseuse what you need relaxing. They may use terms you may not understand like Swedish, Shiatsu, Thai, deep tissue or hot stone. For me, I just wanted back massage to relax my stiff back and ease out my back pain so Aromatherapy was best for me at that time. Paying Php 650.00 for a job well done was never a hurt on my pocket!

Oh well, I guess, that's the perk of having to work hard on a country where the word FUN, RELAXATION, ENJOYMENT, sometimes VANITY is quite hmmmmm.....EXPENSIVE!